


Punsexual

by ElmiDol



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Drabble Fic, F/M, Oral Sex, Prepare for stupid jokes, Sex, Sexual Content, Voyeurism, and bad science jokes, and maybe some force chokes, because I want to use puns, maybe math jokes too, plus I miss Matt, the darkside has cookies, there will probably be sex in the future, welcome to my 'tage talk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2019-06-16 21:47:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 31,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15446565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElmiDol/pseuds/ElmiDol
Summary: After a recent breakup, one would think you wouldn’t fall for the new guy. You blamed gravity.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [All Punsexuals](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=All+Punsexuals).



**Punsexual**

 

_ One _

 

The new radar technician had gone unnoticed by you for the span of an entire week. You had been aware of his existence, that you had a new coworker, but had not sought out to meet him. You had, after all, been going through your own troubles in life. Specifically, a rather nasty breakup that had left you with the task of changing all your passwords for what few personal accounts and devices you owned. The blonde haired man had squinted his eyes at you through his glasses when you had entered the lounge. Your best friend walked away from him in favor of speaking with you.

 

You wondered if they had been flirting. Had you cockblocked him? Was that what the strange look was about? Didn’t matter, you decided.

 

“You take care of it all?” your friend asked.

 

You nodded, crossed your arm over your chest, and grumbled, “Yeah. I just… How did I even fall for him?”

 

She opened her mouth to respond, however a male voice supplied, “Gravity, probably.”

 

You looked over your friend’s shoulder at the new radar technician. “Artificial gravity at that. I met him on a Star Destroyer.” You sighed wistfully. “All the signs were there.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Punsexual**

 

_ Two _

 

His badge revealed that his name was Matt. His hair, on the other hand, had you thinking of him as the golden boy. Nevermind his cute ass. Or that sexy pout he got when anyone corrected him on how to rewire calcinators. It probably did not help that he had failed to realize you greeted him with  _ AU _ rather than  _ hey you _ . He responded to you without hesitation. The beginning of your current shift was no different. You gave a small jerk of your head while saying the words.  _ Au, Matt. _

 

His eyes pinched in the corners as they did most times anyone spoke to him. As though he mistrusted everyone around him or believed they should not be addressing him so informally. It had you wondering about his genealogy, however you mentally shrugged off the thoughts as being none of your business and instead continued rummaging through your tools to ensure everything was in its proper place. Matt failed to reply verbally, a fact that you missed at first.

 

You puffed up your cheeks then moved your lips from side to side while attempting to remember where you had last seen the clearance cylinder missing from your supplies. Dread began to fill your being. There was the growing buzz in the back of your skull that quickly transformed into a stabbing sensation in your chest.  _ He _ had informed you earlier that he was in possession of a handful of your belongings. That message had also revealed he had zero intentions of returning said things. Your superiors would hold  _ you  _ accountable.

 

As this realization hit you, it also occurred to you that Matt had not said a single word thus far. You twisted around to find him observing you, the way you were slamming your tools back into place out of frustration.

 

“You would be a horrible doctor.” His statement flew over your head then, like a boomerang, returned to hit you. You glowered at Matt. This had nothing to do with having patience, and everything to do with needing to find a means of separating personal and business matters. Which would be far easier if your cylinder was not missing.

 

Maybe it did have to do with having no patience, you reflected as you felt your body tensing. You did not have any patience for the golden boy behind you. Not for his silence or his sarcasm. Not even for any puns.

 

You set a hand on your forehead and allowed yourself a few more seconds to silently curse your ex for being such a total dipshit. You knew that you could not take out your frustrations on Matt; he was a newbie, which meant that he was already dealing with the usual hazing. Having his tools kicked around, his bag stolen, and who knew what else. The last thing that he needed would be you ranting to him or being grumpy. You lowered your hand whilst twisting around to look him in the eye. The man had not budged an inch.

 

“I’m looking for one of my clearance cylinders.”

 

Matt blinked at you and, in his normal monotone, said, “It isn’t wise to lose it.”

 

_ Wow, Captain Obvious, I would never had known that had you not pointed it out. _

 

Your face likely revealed your thoughts to him. He shifted his weight onto his left leg, and his palms rubbed against the material of his pants legs. Matt recovered quickly enough. He grabbed at his own cylinder. Your eyes widened, eyebrows rising and jaw dropping. Golden boy was offering you his own cylinder. He was willing to risk punishment. It meant a lot. Not enough to cry, but enough that you lunged forward to embrace him. You would have hugged him as well, if not for his hands catching your shoulders and causing you to stumble backwards.

 

“Oh look,” he said, a smirk forming on his face. “It seems I’m your rebound.”

 

Your stomach dropped. Your face was hotter than ever. “U-uhm…” Snatching the cylinder from him, you rushed back to your tools and grabbed all that you needed to make a speedy exit.

 

If you ever did decide to date golden boy, you wanted it to be more than just a rebound.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Less puns/jokes this chapter. But! It's longer. Oooo.

**Punsexual**

 

_Three_

 

Confronting your ex in regards to your missing clearance cylinder—you had rummaged through all your belongings that night you had returned to sleeping quarters—was one of your least favorite tasks. You could not keep Matt’s cylinder indefinitely though. That would land him in trouble. Halfway to the man’s quarters, you had lost your resolve. Thus you were pacing up and down the hallway rather than pounding on the door to his quarters. It was not that you were scared to face him. You were _not_ scared of that pile of slag. You simply had to tone down your anger and annoyance so that you did not punch him in the face before getting your cylinder back. And if he denied you? If he said he had destroyed it? You would give into violent urges then. If you were going to be in trouble for losing the cylinder because of your ex, you might as well go big or go home.

 

You cracked your knuckles, finished regrouping, and once more you were on your way. One of your co-workers, a young woman by the name of Ylleul, was walking in the opposite direction. She paused upon noticing you. Once more you found yourself halting. This time not out of apprehension; she had called your name. You placed your hands on your hip as you faced her. Originally you had met her through your ex; throughout the last few weeks of your now-ended relationship, however, she had taken your side. Still, she knew why you were going in the direction that you had been.

 

“It isn’t a good idea.” You flinched, asking _that bad, huh?_ and earning a grimace coupled with a nod. One aspect of your ex’s personality that you had never enjoyed even while dating the man was how vindictive he could be. Looking back, you decided that the relationship had never been salvageable. You would take from it what you could; it had helped you to grow as a person and let you know what you wanted from another when it came to relationships. It was not as though he was completely an ass. Just mostly, especially once the break-up had occurred. “Did he torch my belongings?”

 

“Well…” She paused, visibly clenching her jaw as she no doubt debated how to deliver the news. “A few items were flushed out an airlock. He still has most of it though. Rumors have been started. And, unfortunately, they’re siding with him.”

 

Thankfully, you had expected nothing less and thus had been prepared for this news. You rubbed your hands together whilst attempting to think of a plan to get around the obstacles that you would be facing. People saying nasty comments, insulting you in ways that would possibly make it to where you would cry when you were alone. Not in sorrow; frustration over not being able to properly defend yourself without sounding desperate. Those same people would be the ones to bar your way from entering your ex’s quarters to reclaim your belongings. This would not cause you to give up.

 

It was not only your job on the line. You had to do this for Matt as well. He seemed to you the sort of guy who would continue lending you that cylinder. Or perhaps you were reading too much into things.

 

Ylleul did not leave you to your own devices. The moment you began walking, she followed along after you. You appreciated the company, and that she was saying nothing more to dissuade you from carrying out your mission. She had to have realized that this was important, that it was not you being petty or harassing your ex. Ylleul did not pry, however you decided to inform her exactly what you were hoping to discover amongst your belongings. She groaned upon learning that you were after a clearance cylinder. The item would be easy to hide or flush down a toilet.

 

Those words played in the back of your mind on repeat when you arrived at the door to your ex’s quarters. As you had expected, you were not being allowed inside. Ylleuel shifted uncomfortably so that her weight rested predominantly on her left leg. You twisted one way then the other, your eyes stopping on her toolbag. She inquired if you planned on hacking into the control panel to disable the lock. You shrugged, offered a _sure_ , and grinned as you reached into the bag. It was as you withdrew your hand that she began to panic.

 

“Stop!” Ylleul exclaimed, her hands nearly capturing your wrist before you twisted away from her.

 

You wielded your weapon of choice and shook your head emphatically. “Hammer time!”

 

You took aim at the control panel, squinting your eyes and readying the hammer for impact. Ylleul was already groaning. Given that she was behind you, you were unable to see her full reaction. You pictured her running her hands down her face in a cartoonish fashion. Having no desire to be electrocuted, you did not simply hit the panel. You launched the hammer at it then jumped out of the way, reaching behind yourself and grabbing Ylleul to ensure neither of you were injured when the tool ricocheted. She released a swear as the two of you collided with the floor.

 

There was a disappointing lack of sparks coming from the control panel, though it sported a dent that was more than a little noticeable. You glared at the metal, feeling your shoulders rise as your limbs began to converge. Ylleul audibly blew air from her lips. In your peripheral, you could see her eyeing you.

 

“Don’t say it,” you muttered. “I know that was a stupid move.”

 

“You almost nailed it though,” she said, earning a weak chuckle from you.

 

The two of you rose to your feet. Ylleul grabbed her hammer, replaced it in her tool bag, and positioned it out of your reach. Not that you were going to try that again. If the noise from the first attempt didn’t bring stormtroopers and security personnel rushing your way, you knew that a second attempt would get you a severe punishment.

 

“Look, the cylinder might not even be in there,” Ylleul offered. This was true, you had to admit. Somehow, though, you doubted that it was correct.

 

You were growing more irritable the more you thought of it. The reason behind your break up, the way he had retaliated by keeping your things and even messing with your accounts; hence the necessity to change the passwords. He had not cheated on you, not exactly. He had simply talked about a few female officers and technicians he wouldn’t mind having sex with. This would have been fine if not for the fact that he had _just_ made you feel less than you were after you received a promotion. That was the thing about him that irked you. He was never happy for you. For so long you had offered up excuses for his behavior. This had been the final straw. Listening how he objectified women, realizing that the higher in rank you grew, the more he would belittle you as though he loathed the idea of you being his superior. That was not the kind of man you wanted to be with.

 

Him keeping the cylinder would be the ultimate form of revenge for him. He would not flush it out the airlock; there would be no holding it over your head at that point.

 

“Report it as being stolen,” Ylleul whispered in your ear. “At this point, I don’t think that’d exactly be a lie.”

 

Filing a formal complaint was messy, and you knew that your ex would use that as ammunition to garner more sympathy from his friends. He would state that you were harassing him. The man was excellent at playing the victim. Stars, you had fallen for that ridiculous act.

 

You pressed the heels of your hands to your forehead. “I don’t think it’ll go that smoothly.” She opened her mouth, presumably to protest, then paused and agreed after thinking about it another minute.

 

Footsteps coming from one of the ends of the hallway had both you and Ylleul quieting. You each looking in that direction to find… Your shoulders slumped again. This was not how you wanted him to see you. This was not a place you wanted him to be at all; able to hear the rumors that were spreading. He did not pause in his steps even when he noticed you standing there. The man gave a nod of greeting then glanced at Ylleul, who shyly waved. She had the expression of a kid caught with their hand in a cookie jar.

 

“A-AU,” you said, clearing your throat and forcing yourself to stand more erect as a means of displaying sudden confidence. His gaze dropped down to your chest. You relaxed your stance, your breasts no longer pushed forward. _That was stupid._ “So, uh, you working here today?”

 

Matt opened his mouth to respond to your question, however became quickly distracted as the dent on the control panel caught his eye. Now he did stop walking. He lifted an arm, index finger pointing out the damage. “What happened there?”

 

“Oh, uhm… Probably Kylo Ren,” you said, waving a hand in the air dismissively. “Probably got upset and punched something.”

 

His lips pinched at the sides, his eyes narrowed as they landed on your face. You noted the way his nostrils flared. Was that annoyance? Anger? The expression disappeared the next second. Matt shook his head. “No. If it was Kylo Ren, the entire panel would be smashed. He’s powerful.” You hummed in agreement. Ylleul was shielding part of her face with her hand, which was set against her forehead and the bridge of her nose.

 

The silence that had descended made you more than a little nervous. Matt had looked once more at the dent and had not torn his gaze away from it. You and Ylleul were exchanging glances. You _had_ to get into those quarters. You had to—

 

“Did she give up?” a voice from within asked.

 

“He did say she left jobs half done.” A snicker. More comments about your sexual ineptitude. Matt finally breaking his gaze from the control panel to instead eye your crotch.

 

You looked at Ylleul, your blood boiling. “Give me the kriffing hammer again. I’m breaking in.” You made a grab for her tool bag, however the woman jumped backwards to avoid you. Matt shifted—his arm moved, though you did not catch the entirety of his gesture given the fact that you were preoccupied with stealing the hammer—and there was a hiss then groan. Both you and Ylleul whipped around to face the door, which was sliding open.

 

“Oh...slag…” Ylleul cringed. “You actually did break it.”

 

“I am so awesome,” you said, cackling and diving into your ex’s quarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a corny joke, but I had to do it. I hope you enjoyed it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd back to shorter. But hopefully still enjoyable~

**Punsexual**

 

_ Four _

 

A wise man had once said that sticks and stones could break bones, however words would not hurt. You were suddenly doubtful that that man had ever had a book thrown at his gut. Your hands instinctively clutched your injured abdomen as you dropped down to your knees. Your insult was weakened by the fact that air had been knocked out of your lungs at the blow.  _ Mother-kriffer _ was distorted into  _ Muh-tha-krihhhh...er _ . The individual nearest to you had posed the question: did you think we’d just let you in here without a fight? Another exclaimed that possession was nine-tenths of the law.

 

Whatever demons apparently plagued him aside, you wanted your clearance cylinder back.

 

Before you had the chance to fully rise to your feet to face these slagbuckets, Ylleul and Matt stepped into the quarters behind you. The male radar technician bent over long enough to retrieve the book that had been used against you. You felt heat entering your face, realizing that golden boy had witnessed your moment of failure. Two of your ex’s buddies stepped forward, both of them sizing up Matt. While golden boy was not what you would consider to be scrawny, those he was up against were larger in muscle mass. At least from what you could tell, that is.

 

One of them cracked their knuckles, his eyes running up and down Matt’s frame. “That’s my book.”

 

“Mm,” golden boy grunted out. He inspected the object. “Knowledge is power.” Without missing a beat, the man moved more swiftly than you had thought him capable of. The spine of the book collided with its owner’s nose mere moments before it clunked against the second man’s head. Matt proved to be agile as well as strong. He avoided a punch that was aimed for his face, caught the second fist headed for him and twisted the owner’s wrist.

 

“Who the kriff is this?” Others were more hesitant to approach Matt given the ease with which he had incapacitated the previous men.

 

In the lull that followed, you started to straighten your posture and stepped nearer to the center of the room. “Look. I just want my clearance cylinder. That’s it. I’ll take my leave immediately afterwards.”

 

The resultant inquiries of  _ Do you have it?  _ and  _ I thought you had it _ did not lift your spirits. To know that they were aware of what your ex was doing and remain on his side, that hurt. More than the stupid book had. For their part, they proved that they were at least somewhat human by refraining from interrupting you when you resumed your search. Granted, more than half were busy asking Matt where he had learned to fight and why he was a technician when he was clearly a skilled fighter.

 

Ylleul, having been silent up until that point, joined you. “What do you know about the new guy?” she asked, jerking her head in Matt’s direction. You followed her gaze. “Oh.”

 

“What? ‘Oh’ what?” you asked, failing at subtlety. “Oh…”

 

“Well...the good news is...I think he likes you.”

 

“You think so?” you asked, looking over your shoulder at golden boy. You had at last found the cylinder in one of your ex’s sealed boxes; he had not yet changed the code.

 

She nodded. “He did just fight for you.” Add that to the moment he had joked about being your rebound, you thought. “You should ask him out.”

 

“Hey, Matt, you ready to leave?” you asked, grabbing onto his arm and dragging him away from the men as you exited your ex’s quarters.

 

“Not what I meant,” Ylleul muttered under her breath.

 

You did not pay much attention to that comment. You were much too distracted with the fact that Matt had not argued. He had allowed you to pull him away and now walked next to you. “Where  _ did _ you learn how to fight like that?”

 

“Maybe I’ll show you sometime. When does your shift end?” Ylleul grinned widely, waggling her eyebrows at you; Matt would have seen her doing so had he not been preoccupied with staring at your face and waiting for your reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The "knowledge is power" pun was suggested by Artisanthemage, so all the credit to her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Punsexual**

 

_ Five _

 

You were not entirely sure  _ how _ you wanted to answer Matt. Humor could either draw him further in or else shove him away. As much as you did want to spend more time with him, you also did not want to dive head-first into something that could become messy. Clearing your throat, you turned your attention back to the hall in front of you. In the corner of your eye, you noticed him smirk. Ylleul released a small noise that sounded to you like disappointment. You drummed your fingers on your thighs, glanced at your female co-worker, and then looked at Matt again.  _ Okay, _ you thought,  _ let’s give golden boy a chance. _ In a quiet voice, you told him the time that your shift would end.

 

“I’ll be there when you get off,” he said, licking his lips and giving you a once over.

 

From anyone else, you might have been annoyed at the straightforwardness. From him? You could not lie to yourself even if you wanted to. You were becoming very smitten with the man.

 

“If you play your cards right.”

 

_ Kriff. _ That had been meant for your head, not for his ears. Matt’s eyes widened, and he stopped dead in his tracks.  _ On second thought… _ You liked his reaction. It meant that, yes, he was flirting with you and he’d obviously love to get in bed. But clearly he was not convinced you were immediately going to put out.

 

Giving a quick wink and throwing up a peace sign—because, well, your brain didn’t give you a good reason so you changed the peace sign into a salute of farewell, you rushed off towards where duty called. The unfortunate thing was that Ylleul was not working alongside you, which meant there was no asking her advice. Your other co-workers knew of Matt, and some had met him in person. Most of them, though, were not aware of what had transpired between you and Matt. You wanted to speak to someone who could offer a different perspective. Were you putting off vibes that read  _ looking for a rebound _ , or was it more  _ I’m into you, we should explore this _ ?

 

“That wire doesn’t go there.”

 

The words were spoken too late. “Shocking,” you groaned, shaking your hand to return feeling to it. The other technician nudged you aside with his foot. You did not object, scooting away and watching over his shoulder as he finished the job you had started. It was not common that life interfered with your ability to do your job. You could not lie and say that you weren’t nervous when it came to things with Matt, especially given the relationship that had just ended. It would be stupid to keep overthinking things, you told yourself.

 

You moved on to a different task to keep yourself busy. This time, you did not make a simple mistake. There was no more getting shocked by wires.

 

Lunch break saw you reuniting with Ylleul. She sat with you at one of the tables along with other technicians that you were on good terms with. In other words: those who weren’t siding with your scumbag ex. This included the friend that had been present that first day you had seen Matt in person; Neola had gone through training with you, and was one person you deeply trusted. She had been the first to support you when you had ended the relationship. She had been working alongside Ylleul for her current shift, and you quickly learned that she was up to date on the goings on between you and Matt.

 

“You’re still meeting with him after your shift, right?” Neola asked, leaning across the table and whispering as though this conversation was the most scandalous thing that had happened in the history of the galaxy.

 

You shrugged and pushed your food around with your fork. “I mean… Do you think I shouldn’t?”

 

“I just don’t know a lot about him. What if he’s on good terms with—”

 

“I don’t think he’d have fought for her if he was,” Ylleul cut in. “He didn’t hesitate at all.”

 

You mentally swore. What if Matt  _ was _ some sort of plant by your ex? A means to shame you?

 

“Maybe I shouldn’t then.” Ylleul groaned, the woman telling you to not listen to Neola, who sighed and insisted she was trying to keep things in perspective.

 

“That’s a really kriffed up perspective, Noela. Can’t you see it’s giving her anxiety?” Ylleul placed both of her hands flat on the table. “Look, if you don’t go for him, I will.”

 

“No,” you groaned, flinching. Neola clicked her tongue against her teeth, sighed, and at last relented. Unfortunately, the seeds of doubt had already been planted.


	6. Chapter 6

**Punsexual**

 

_ Six _

 

Those seeds of doubt did not fade so easily. They grew like weeds even once you returned to finish your work shift. You had already agreed to meet with Matt when your shift ended, otherwise you would possibly have snuck away a few minutes early to hide. You were not going to stand up the guy. There was that small chance he wasn’t in league with your ex. And, Maker, wouldn’t  _ that _ be ironic? Your ex screwing up this budding...maybe or maybe not relationship. Neola’s heart may have been in the right place. And if she  _ was _ correct about Matt, you would appreciate her words all the more. In the meantime? You wished she would have kept silent about her fears and had instead spied on you in secret.

 

Your shift had ended three minutes ago. You hadn’t thought to ask Matt what time  _ his _ shift had ended, which meant you did not know if he was late. Was he standing you up? Maybe it was some joke from your ex. Get in good with the new guy. Play a sick joke on you. Later comment about how you abused your position as a rank above Matt to spend time with him. To exploit sexual favors. Not that you had done anything remotely sexual with him, but rumors had a way of rendering the truth irrelevant.

 

Leaning against the wall, you stared down at your feet and avoided each person that walked by you. Stormtroopers. Officers, a handful of other technicians. You toyed with the clearance chip that was affixed to your uniform. Just that morning you had stolen it back from your ex. Had witnessed Matt defending you. “Hey.” That was his voice, and it was not some mere memory. Your  _ AU _ was quiet; you weren’t sure if he had been able to hear you. His footsteps drew closer until his feet were in your line of sight. You hadn’t bothered to look up yet. His right foot slid backwards. “Oh. You changed your mind.”

 

There was something guarded in his tone, and it sounded genuine. Your attention snapped upwards. You stared into those brown eyes through the glasses that he wore. The expression he wore caused your mind to wander. It was as though you should have known him.

 

_ Stupid _ , you scolded yourself.  _ Of course you know him. He’s Matt. The golden boy. _

 

Unless he was someone you had known before, maybe had met briefly with your ex?

 

“I…” You set a hand on your forehead. “I haven’t, no. Just... “ Was it smart to be honest? “I’m nervous.” It was better than stammering on and on. “I’m ready to go now.” The suspicion did not leave his eyes, nor did it abandon your mind. It seemed that the two of you were similar in that way. This did not stop Matt from motioning for you to come with him, and it certainly didn’t prevent you from following. You could not live your life if you gave into paranoia. That didn’t mean you were going to be an idiot. You would watch for any sign that Matt was someone other than the Matt you knew. If golden boy turned out to be a fake, there would be repercussions he would face.

 

There were hallways that you recognized up to a point, and then you were reliant upon Matt to not become lost. It made you somewhat uncomfortable; if he wanted to leave you stranded, he wouldn’t have a difficult time doing so. On top of that, there was always the chance that an officer would happen by. A bored officer, that is. You had never been forced to endure some of the harsher forms of harassment that some of your peers had, however you had experienced displays of bullying and been victim to childish games of  _ keep away _ with your belongings.

 

Matt paused in front of a door to one of the training facilities. You opened your mouth to protest, wanting to inform the newer technician of the punishments that could befall if he broke into the room, when he input a code. The sensor beeped, its light flashing thrice before turning from red to yellow. The door slid open, and you were left wondering what sort of connections this man had. This particular training facility was for higher ranking personnel, or else for when larger groups were escorted by their superiors for assessment.

 

If Matt was in league with your ex, this was going  _ too _ far. Using this facility for payback? You doubted your ex would be foolish enough to go to such lengths. It would have a lasting impact on his career. He was far too proud to do that.

 

“Over here,” Matt said as you trailed along behind him. There were several machines on the opposite side of the room, and a sealed off portion for any who wished to utilize training droids. You were not headed in either of those directions. Instead you were walking towards a mat where one-on-one practices were held. “You’ll need to warm up first.”

 

If the doubt, though lessened, did not linger, you may have made a quip regarding him being hot enough that he wouldn’t need to warm up. Or perhaps another sexual innuendo. Something playful.

 

“Yeah, okay,” you said instead. You placed your tools and stripped out of your outer shirt to keep from sweating too much. You did not know how long he planned on showing you what he knew. Would he split it up into separate sessions? Or was this just a one-time thing? Time would tell.

 

Moving over to the mat, you proceeded to run through basic stretches that you had incorporated into your morning routine. It was demanded of all First Order personnel to remain in shape; that is, to be able to get from one part of the ship to another quickly, as well as able to survive if stranded for a short period of time. Other than that, physical strength requirements varied from one position to another. Matt’s eyes were on you as you laid down on the mat to begin sit ups. You succeeded in finishing a single set of ten before you became too self-conscious to continue. Matt’s eyes flicked to the side.

 

“So,” you began, not wanting the awkwardness to include silence. Matt grunted in acknowledgement, prompting you to continue. “Your fighting style...is it sort of like Captain Phasma’s?”

 

He released a noise that had you again pausing in your warm-up. “Kylo Ren’s.” You blinked and tried to remember if you had ever seen the darkly robed member of the triumvirate in action. Matt made a gesture with his hand, repeating it when you did not rise to your feet the first time. You bounced on your toes, lifting your heels off of the mat. Golden boy gave a smirk and commented that it would be easy to swipe your feet out from underneath you. You sighed, however stopped fidgeting all the same. “You will fail to block these first attacks. Do not allow that to dissuade you from continuing. Above all else, remember: the First Order requires warriors, not worriers.”

 

You broke into laughter...only to have the air knocked out of you as Matt swiftly launched forward and tackled you to the ground. “You...cheated…” you groaned out.

 

“All is fair in love and war.” Your eyes locked with his. Was he just as confused as you were at that point? Was this love? Was this war? Maybe fake war, but did that negate the possibility of love? “I did not cheat.”

 

It was a little disappointing that he felt the need to correct himself. And  _ that _ , of course, allowed you to know that you were not going to focus on the doubt that wouldn’t fully fade. You would not be an idiot and go full force into whatever this was. But you weren’t going to deny yourself the chance to explore it. Neola and Ylleul would have your back should things turn sour.

 

“What if the warrior worries? Then are they a worrier warrior or a warrior worrier?” Matt’s lips moved. He was mouthing all of what you had just spoken, and as he did so he began to furrow his brow. His eyes pinched at the corners. Matt squinted down at you. It was the closest to a  _ what the kriff are you talking about _ expression you had seen on him. You grinned in victory. As quick as you could, you moved to pin the distracted Matt on the mat.

 

It was like trying to shove a brick wall.

 

“Ugggh.”

 

“I told you that you would fail.” You squirmed until you were able to get your hand free and snatch his glass off of his face. It was strange how he  _ didn’t _ squint this time. Almost as though he didn’t even need the glasses. You froze as you considered this. The next second, you flipped the item around so that their lenses were positioned in front of your eyes. You stared through them at Matt, and found that they only slightly magnified his features. “And  _ now _ are you able to see the truth?”

 

“You are not a cheater…” He nodded. “...but… Something’s weird about you, golden boy.”

 

“Golden boy?”

 

_ Kriff! _


	7. Chapter 7

**Punsexual**

 

_ Seven _

 

“What?” you managed to ask as though you were genuinely confused why he had uttered the words. This you said only  _ after _ you had mentally told yourself to play it cool. “Golden boy?” You snorted. “Where did that come from?”

 

His eyes had been narrowing in confusion, more and more as you spoke. Then he eyed you suspiciously. “ _ Your _ mouth. It came from your mouth.” You blinked at him through his glasses, batting your eyelashes and maintaining the facade of ignorance. “You have a nickname for me.” He said it in a rather accusatory manner. You removed the glasses from your face and slid them back onto his. All the while you shook your head, denying it yet again. “You… Is that… AU?”

 

_ Kriiiifff. _

 

Matt pushed himself up off the floor and rose to his full height. You rolled up onto your feet, although you ducked your head and were unable to meet his eye. It was not that you were afraid of him learning that you found him attractive. Stars, he’d been flirting with you already, which meant that he was definitely interested. If he started to believe that it was too much at once? That could scare him off. Matt was not overly fond of socializing with people. You were a nice exception to that. And, ugh, had you really just ruined it due to some Freudian slip?

 

“I...well…” You were fidgeting. Your hands in constant motion against one another. “Yes?” He was not running away yet. Matt took a single step towards the side. It fit with his character though. He did not stand still when he was agitated or attempting to sort through a problem. The radar technician ran a hand through his hair. Or, rather, patted it. Did he not like his own hair? It would explain his reaction to the nickname.

 

He walked back towards you, and you ducked your head under his scrutiny. If he had not already been a radar technician, you would have suggested he aim for a career in law enforcement. Anyone would crack under  _ that _ stare.  You were spilling, or at least  _ words _ were spilling from you. Namely that his hair had been the source of the nickname, and that you thought of him as golden boy as much as you thought of him as Matt. His eyes flicked up and down your body the entire time you spoke. He was not smiling, but he wasn’t necessarily frowning. A neutral expression.

 

“You’re cute when you’re nervous.”

 

“Thank you.” You started to continue your word vomit then caught yourself. Your mind rewound to his words and your response. All the while your mouth was hanging open. Thankfully there were no flies in the room to dart inside.

 

Your mind was now in a loop, replaying what he had said to you. What he had  _ called _ you. Matt thought you were cute. You smiled goofily then turned your back to him so that he could not see your expression. Your ex had varied between telling you that he liked your smile and teasing you about it, which now left you feeling self-conscious. Matt did not compliment others. In fact, you did not recall ever hearing him speak words of praise about anyone aside from Kylo Ren. It made the moment more meaningful for you.

 

Filled with more confidence, you started to turn back to Matt, however paused when the door to the training area opened. Your eyes widened when the officer stopped midstep. Was this someone who wanted trouble? The male officer took a single step in retreat, his eyes equally wide as he began to say “Ah—I didn’t mean to—”

 

He broke off in a coughing fit, the man touching his throat and rubbing at his neck as though he had swallowed wrong. Choked on air. It was weird, although not quite as strange as the way he nodded and walked back through the door to leave the room. You looked at Matt to see how the radar technician was reacting. Now he was frowning.  _ This _ was what annoyed golden boy looked like. Glowering at the door, silently bristling.

 

“You, uh, think he’s sick?” Matt’s eyes flicked to your face before returning to the door. His response was a single word: no. “I hope not. I don’t want to catch anything.” You held up two fists. “You’re about to catch these hands though.”

 

You may have landed a hit had you not announced your intentions first. Or if Matt hadn’t decided to take you so literally. What irked you and caused you to pout was that he had caught both of your hands with only one of his.

 

“I dye my hair,” he informed you. You looked him up and down then squinted. You hadn’t tried to remove your hands from his grip, and he had not released you. “If you can land a hit in four attempts, I will tell you its real color.” Matt backed away a step. “Are you ready?”

 

“I’m red-dye,” you said. His resultant  _ no _ caused your heart to hiccup. Thankfully, he explained himself: his hair wasn’t red. Golden boy wasn’t going to turn into Gingersnap. “If I land a hit, will you tell me  _ why _ you dye it?”

 

“No.”

 

You decided not to press. It could be a very personal reason. Besides, first thing was first. You had to figure out just how you were going to land a hit on this man.


	8. Chapter 8

**Punsexual**

 

_ Eight _

 

To buy yourself more time as you searched for openings in his defense, you asked if he was sure that the random officer wasn’t ill. This was how you learned that said man was one of the Command Shuttle’s crew members. You were all the more interested in Matt’s mysterious past. Now that you knew he dyed his hair, and that he apparently did not  _ need _ his glasses, you had become more determined to learn about him. His personality did not seem fake to you since that had never changed. You could not see any particular reason for pretending to be socially awkward as Matt could be. The Command Shuttle officer had seemed to know Matt, which led you to wonder if the radar technician had ever worked on the Limo. Though you wanted to come out and ask him directly, you doubted that he would be forthcoming.

 

If only he did not have such quick reflexes. The fact that he was offering you only four tries meant that you had to be wise about it. “He seemed to know you. You guys been in this training room together before?” Matt grunted as he gave a single nod. His eyes were tracking every one of your movements.

 

Should you pursue this as though the two of you were on equal footing, that would be your downfall. Matt had training. That much was clear to you, and you weren’t going to blind yourself to it. He had not specified how hard the hit needed to be. Only that you succeeded. Four attempts at your disposal. You would have to sacrifice at least two of them to better assess his defenses. Ducking, you went for his leg, springing forward and twisting. Your fingertips skimmed the air  _ centimeters _ away from his leg. He passively uttered the word  _ one _ . You pursed your lips at this to hide the grin that threatened to form. This man had a streak of arrogance when it came to fighting. He was confident in his abilities, and you decided that you couldn’t blame him given what you had already witnessed.

 

Unless he was a mind reader, though, he wouldn’t know of your plan. In a real fight, you probably would be unable to beat him. Landing a hit while the two of you were messing around?

 

_ I got this, _ you thought, leaping up to your feet once more.

 

“I refuse to make it easy for you,” Matt said. There was something in his tone that, to you, sounded akin to worry. Hesitation even. As though, if you protested, he would relent a  _ little _ . This man did not want to scare you off. It was rather endearing, you had to admit. He wouldn’t baby you by default, however was willing to compromise in areas. That was good.

 

You had wrongly assumed that he would retaliate enough to have you on your back after the first two attempts. You  _ hated _ chancing the third, however did not have much of a choice. It paid off thankfully. Matt deflected your attack in a way that had you falling over. And, granted, yes you  _ had _ exaggerated the impact it had had on you. Golden boy narrowed his eyes in what you guessed was suspicion. This was also a game of luck. He was kind to you, looked out for you, and yet you were thinking that he wasn’t the kind to be  _ overly _ chivalrous. Whether it was out of character for him or not, Matt did lean down, offering you his hand. You accepted it, letting him tug you forward onto your feet. You used the momentum to your advantage.

 

Matt’s hands slid to your hips so that your body didn’t collide with his. You let your hands slip along his sides as well. Your hand inching along his ass. Just as he was opening his mouth and asking if you were alright, you tapped his ass and waggled your eyebrows suggestively.

 

“You never said how hard it had to be.”

 

His cheeks were a rather lovely shade of red. Confusion and amusement battled on his face. His eyebrows knitting then rising. His lips twitching, shifting from a frown to a budding smirk before he visibly force himself to scowl. You snickered, touching the tip of his nose with your finger. Matt did not pull away from the contact. His eyes roamed your face as his blush faded away. The scowl likewise disappeared. Matt smirked once more while offering the single word of  _ black _ .

 

You started to imagine him with his natural hair color. Dark locks framing his features. Those lovely curls. You wished you knew why he chose to dye his hair, but respected him enough to not press. You had accomplished plenty though. The next day, you were definitely going to brag about having tapped dat ass when you met up with Neola and Ylleul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short length of the chapter. The extended fight scene just didn't work for me so I cut it out.


	9. Chapter 9

**Punsexual**

 

_ Nine _

 

The flirtatious atmosphere dwindled away, albeit not in an awkward manner. The both of you were prepared to toe the line, to be suggestive, and yet you each shied away from words or actions that would lead to a certain culmination of—well, whatever it was that existed between the pair of you. Unless something drastic changed the course of things, you did not doubt that eventually the two of you would give into physical desires. You still hoped for more than that. The problem largely was that you didn’t know Matt’s hopes, and you were not ready to ask for fear of rejection.

 

Ylleul and Neola had openly gawked when you joked about what had gone on in the training room. Not wanting any rumors that could ruin things to spread, you did end your commentary with a wink before elaborating that it had been more literal. The conversation had then shifted towards what you should do from that point forward. Noela believed further testing the waters would be good for you, that you should perhaps ask him to grab caf and a muffin with you. Your cheeks had flushed a little at the smirk that developed on her face when she said  _ muffin.  _ This was one reason you enjoyed your friendship with her. The shared humor was refreshing given how rigid some of your other peers. Ylleul worried that Matt might be dissuaded if  _ he _ was not the one to ask you out first. Then, of course, came the debate as to whether or not his asking you to the training room constituted as a date.

 

None of the three of you became certain one way or the other. Thus, prior to slipping into your bunk, you decided to do what you had been doing: wing it.

 

Working on a TIE Fighter was one way to do that, although if you had been allowed to pick your task, this wouldn’t have been it. The pilot of the TIE was a complete sleemo who also happened to have nothing better to do—what with his ship requiring repairs—than alternate between flirting with and insulting you. Bored pilots were like younglings, you mused. Although that was an insult to youths.

 

“Look, this”—you gestured along the curves of your body—“doesn’t require a pilot light to get hot.”

 

The smirk on his face that formed mere seconds following a look of agitation had you pausing. The man was less of an annoyance after that. Less of a hothead than he had initially led you to believe. It made sense that some officers were accustomed to putting up fronts. That’s sometimes what got you far in the First Order. General Hux himself would attest to the importance of appearances.

 

Matt was a curious man indeed in that regard. He seemed to defend Kylo Ren’s honor more than his own. Then again, he did likewise with  _ you.  _ The radar technician had not defended anyone else as far as you could remember. In many respects, he had been making move after move. Once more, you found yourself surprisingly appreciative of the pilot’s presence, his liking of your sense of humor aside. He proved to you that men, even more assertive ones,  _ enjoyed _ being on the receiving side of the playing field.

 

You were going to ask Matt out for that muffin.

 

Golden boy—one day he would receive a new nickname—let his eyes lower towards the front of your pants when you propositioned him.

 

“You aren’t having  _ my _ muffin, Matt.”

 

_ At least not today. _

 

You held your breath as he licked his lips, the faux-blonde nodding in acceptance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter should be a little longer. There'll be Matt/RC time~


	10. Chapter 10

**Punsexual**

 

_ Ten _

 

Your current duty station in the First Order did not allow you many chances to dress informally or out of uniform in general. This was not any different. Matt and you wore your respective technician uniforms; yours was black, and his gray with that eye-catching orange. It was not to some cafe that the two of you headed towards either. One of the cafeterias. The one with the good muffins. The other never failed to deliver stale breads, although their proteins were better flavored. The caf was near identical at least. Golden boy wasn’t a chatterbox as the two of you walked, which was fine with you. It was a comfortable silence. His gaze darting along your body every now and again. You checking him out in turn. Had it been anyone else, you may have worried that you were boring him or that he was deciding that you were uninteresting.

 

There was, admittedly, one figurative bantha looming in the room. Matt had been working alongside your ex earlier, which meant that there had been a discussion revolving around you. Golden boy had shrugged it off, saying he didn’t pay much attention to what your ex said, claiming the man bored him. You wanted to believe that but didn’t. It was only natural to listen to stories, both good and bad, about those one was interested in.

 

Later on you would prod him for details if he didn’t bring up anything on his own. You also planned on being vigilant. Watching to see if he acted differently. He hadn’t thus far.

 

“If we get there in time, we’ll have our pick of the three flavors. Berry, a vegetable one—they’re actually pretty good, I’ve had two of them—and then the sweeter ones. Chocolate, toffee, whathaveyou.”

 

“Interesting flavor,” he quipped in reply to the final word. Your lips tugged to one side in an amused smirk. “Some pair better with caf than others.” With how much he was talking now, you wondered if he had sensed that dreadful bantha.

 

You brushed a hand along the side of your head. “Was it more that he was bad mouthing me, or…?” The first option alone allowed for various interpretations. Talking about bad habits, speaking of fights, telling Matt that he shouldn’t see you. The list went on.

 

“There were explicit details,” the radar technician said, his eyes sliding towards your face only to return to the floor ahead.

 

Your mind sorted through various scandalous details from your previous relationship. There were only a handful really. Nothing remarkable. Having expected your ex to speak of your shared sexual forrays, your facial features remained relaxed. You asked if your ex had claimed you were horrible in bed or if he had led Matt to believe you had slept around. Golden boy countered your question with one of his own: were you obsessed with your ex?

 

Now you were a  _ little _ offended.

 

“It’s not  _ him _ . It’s what  _ you _ think after...whatever he told you.” You were glowering by the end of your explanation then nearly pouting upon noticing Matt was smirking at your response.

 

“We have chemistry.” That he pinched a strand of his hair made you finally fully relax. He would always be golden boy to you even if he did dye his hair. The nice thing was that he had made the comment to comfort you, yet hadn’t acted out of character by being overly sentimental. There was nothing exaggerated, nothing faked.

 

You returned his smirk just as the pair of you turned down the final hall leading to the cafeteria. The delicious aroma of freshly baked muffins wafted in the air. It well suited the subsequent smell of caf. When this hit your nostrils, you subconsciously quickened your pace. Matt lengthened his strides to remain at your side. He generally became more, well, you wouldn’t describe it as clingy; he walked nearer to you when there were more people around. He never stopped you from communicating with others, barring the training room. But, now that you thought of it, it seemed as though he also had insecurities. He might have been afraid that you would decide he was boring or find you were interested in someone else.

 

One of the things that attracted you to him? He could be so confident while also being insecure. He reminded you that the two of you were humans. You were more than parts of the machine, than a pawn for war. The cafeteria served “fuel for the workers”. Maker, you sometimes hated that some of your peers referred to food in that way. Another thing you liked about the radar technician. He called it  _ food _ , complete with a sardonic expression on his face. An unnecessary emphasis on the single syllable. He wanted to feel more human as well.

 

While the radar technician walked to the muffins first, you grabbed yourself a cup of caf. The two of you shifted past one another, his front brushing against your backside, to complete the set. Matt picked at the top of his muffin. You did not start on yours. It was more fun to observe him. The way his eyes squinted as he inspected the food. His lips parting a fraction. When had he last had a muffin?

 

He liked them sweet, that you knew. You lifted your cup of caf to your lips, sipping it and continuing to observe him.

 

“He told me how you taste,” Matt said, sucking on his thumb after taking a bite. He removed the digit with a wet  _ pop _ . You swallowed thickly, staring at the saliva on the pad of his finger. “You’re better than him.” You liked to think that, especially when your ex had those moments of pettiness. Everyone did. You could be petty. One thing you were not doing was talking about your sex life. Er… You  _ hadn’t _ been. “This is a good muffin.”

 

He said it in a bored tone, which made you snort, a single laugh escaping you before you covered your mouth with your hand. Matt smirked.

 

“You should report him if he continues.” You shrugged. It wasn’t that you wouldn’t feel satisfied if your ex had a mark on his record for the things he was saying. It just felt juvenile. The entire situation was yet again reminding you of Academy days. It hurt that people believed him, that he was making things far more personal than they should be. It confused you how your ex was telling Matt both good and bad things about you. He had to know of your interest in the radar technician. His actions now were revealing to you that your former boyfriend was bitter, angry, jealous, hurt—it was the  _ jealous  _ aspect that caused you pause.

 

There was no quick  _ off _ switch when it came to caring about someone. You did care less now than you had before. The intimacy that had existed between you and him left you with a strange taste of pity.

 

“If he gets worse, I might,” you said when Matt huffed. “But this is… It hurts, but if I keep at it, I’ll never be moving on with my life. Official statements like that would mean more interactions. More bitterness. More rumors, and an audience that wants gossip since it’s an escape from war and work.”

 

It didn’t mean the random urges to punch your ex in the face disappeared. Well, they weren’t exactly random. They were generally warranted emotional responses to certain situations. Like when he had taken your clearance cylinder for instance. When it came to any breakup, there was typically an allowable amount of pettiness one could exhibit. In your opinion, your ex was taking things a bit too far. Yet it was not out of character for him. That didn’t mean you would stoop to that level. You  _ did _ want to move on with your life.

 

You would not have been here with Matt if you hadn’t been to that point.

 

Eyeing your muffin and noticing once more that it was a different flavor than the one he had grabbed, you nudged it towards him. “Do you want a taste?”

 

His eyes locked with yours, those brown orbs seeming to darken with interest. Matt stretched out a hand. HIs fingers met yours on the top of the baked good. His skin was warm, the pad of his finger a bit rough from use while at the same time softer; he took care of himself, which deepened the mystery of where he had come from and who he was. This man was open to you in some respects though ultimately he was a puzzle. Each piece fell into place the more you interacted with him. It would take quite a longer for you to solve the mystery. A thousand pieces, a thousand secrets.

 

The two of you were leaning closer to one another. Simultaneously, both of you paused. A nod passed between you, your fingers remaining in place as his worked underneath them and stole a piece of your food. Golden boy slipped the morsel into his mouth. You observed the way his lips wrapped around those digits, lightly brushing them. It was not crude or overtly sexual. Nothing played up. It was better than if he had outright sucked on them.

 

“Am I your rebound?” His voice guarded. His body language something you could only partially read. He was hesitant, and so were you. How honest were to going to be?

 

Honest enough. “I want more than that.” A brief pause. “Not anything… I’m not thinking long-long term. I want to take it a day at a time, but I want it to be more than a quick fling. Not just a rebound.”

 

“Well… What I tasted was satisfying.” He gestured to your muffin. “I’d want to try it again.” Matt squinted at you from behind his glasses. “In the training room next time.” You nodded without hesitation. You had enjoyed that experience as well. “Maybe I’ll give you a taste there.”

 

Oh, you sincerely hoped he would. If you were understanding him correctly… Stars, you wondered what his kiss tasted like.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be posted on Wednesday. Sorry for the delay; slight hiccup in life but it's good now!

**Punsexual**

 

_ Eleven _

 

Neola was fast warming up to Matt in the sense that she no longer suspected him of being out to take advantage of you—that is to say, not in any way that you wouldn’t thoroughly enjoy. Your reservations were likewise diminished. You did not know exactly where things were headed. The path that you could see, however, was one you wanted to continue down. There was an arranged time to meet with Matt at the training room. That would not be occuring for another cycle and a half. Work schedules had never interfered with your social life in the past, not like this. Not to where you were sighing every couple of minutes as you were unable to fall asleep. Anticipation welled up inside of you. Rather than be annoyed, Neola chuckled in amusement. Her hand went to her mouth to quiet the sounds, which were louder than your quiet sighs. Had she not been in the bed beside yours, you doubted she would have heard you.

 

On many levels, you did not mind her laughter. She did not mean it maliciously, and she was the one, after all, helping you to learn more about Matt. You respected his privacy in most senses. You were not trying to dig up any family secrets or the likes. You did, however, want to know more about what duty station he had been been assigned to prior to arriving here. Certain locations required all workers, no matter their job, to be ready for a fight. That would explain Matt’s capabilities in the training room. If you turned up nothing, you would wait—and  _ hope _ —that he would reveal the information to you on his own. The knowledge that his home planet and personal life could have anything at all to do with his strength caused a rock to settle in your stomach. You didn’t like the idea of children facing hardships such as those even though you were more than aware that it was a fact of life.

 

You wanted to make a difference in the galaxy. Using your strengths, you had chosen this career to do just that.

 

_ Maybe it’s why he dyes his hair, _ you mused.  _ He might be ashamed of his past, of who he was. _

 

Running your tongue along your lips, you thought of the enigma that was Matt. How he could be so stern and serious one moment then give you a playful look the next. How he flirted with you as though he was so kriffing confident no one would reject him...only to have those moments of awkward shuffling like he was afraid it would be impossible to win anyone’s approval. You yourself had similar behaviors and emotions, albeit on a smaller level. You were not out to win any popularity contests. Yes, you wanted friends amongst coworkers and respect in your career. You had that. With Matt, there seemed, to you, to be multiple layers of that need for approval and respect. Insecurities aside, when it came to golden boy’s confidence, he strutted like he was  _ owed _ that respect.

 

_ If I learn his surname, maybe that will hold an answer. _

 

After all, Armitage Hux had come from Brendol Hux. Whenever you heard that particular name, your mind naturally went: superior officer.

 

“Neola?” you whispered, shifted nearer to the edge of your bunk and staring at the woman. She had previously removed her hand from her face. Her laughter had faded away, and you were not sure how long ago that had been. Neola gave a slight nod of her head to indicate that she was listening. “What do you think Matt’s full name is?”

 

“Matthew?” she suggested. You opened your mouth to retort that that was  _ not _ what you had meant. Then paused. What if his name really was Matthew? That thought faded away. You had seen part of his badge as well as his name tag. Matt. “Why are you asking? Want to make sure he’s not some long lost relative before things get steamy?”

 

_ That’s really gross, _ you thought, suppressing a gag but allowing yourself a shudder of disgust.

 

“What’s with the question?” she pressed again. Neola scooted nearer to you. Her body was hanging halfway off the bed, one leg dangling enough that her foot touched the ground. “I had my reservations before, but I think he’s fine. Besides, you’ve dated royalty before.” Your heart hiccuped in your chest. Blinking repeatedly, you started to sit up. “Your ex is a real royal pain after all.” Settling down and rolling your eyes, you appreciated the grin that spread on your face. She wasn’t wrong. Aside from you, Neola was one person who had every right to dislike your ex. She had stood by you since the beginning of your decision to break things off, and thus had endured name calling.  _ Meddling bitch _ .  _ Sleemo.  _ And other, worse slurs. “I’m sure if you ask him, he’ll tell you. Matt doesn’t seem like he has any totally dark secrets.”

 

_ Just his natural hair color, _ you thought, your grin spreading as you kept golden boy’s secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Matt next chapter, which is where some plot pieces will begin.


	12. Chapter 12

**Punsexual**

 

_ Twelve _

 

You felt a slight sense of disappointment at not dressing a little nicer, however then remembered that you were meeting up with Matt in a training room. The uniform code wasn’t so bad when you thought of that. That didn’t mean you failed to pay some extra attention to your reflection in the mirror after you showered. You pushed your chest forward, shifted to several different angles to look at yourself, and narrowed your eyes. Was Matt more of a breast man or an ass man? Did he like both equally? You smoothed your hands down your posterior then cupped your chest. Wrinkling your nose, you stuck out your tongue at your reflection.

 

The mission to obtain Matt’s surname had failed, and you had recovered from that disappointment earlier by proccupying yourself with readying for the upcoming...date?

 

You stood more regularly. No more playing around in the mirror; it was time to start walking to the training room if you were to get there at the agreed upon time. You were nervous but also very excited. You couldn’t stop thinking of the possibility that the two of you would kiss. Stars, you had pictured his mouth on yours on more than one occasion. Did he fantasize about you at all? You felt heat begin to pool into your cheeks at the trail of thoughts that began to play. That helped you to skip out of the refresher more quickly.

 

It was not at the training room that you met with Matt. He was waiting for you a little nearer to your quarters, a fact that you appreciated. “Au.” His lips twitched at the greeting. It was a cute smirk. Kriff, you loved his lips. “How was your shift?”

 

“Not too bad. No one stole my wrench.” That had been happening to several technicians this past week. Wrenches kicked away from their owners, temporarily stolen, hidden. What made things worse was when victims of the pranks then went on to replace their wrenches with one of another technician’s without asking permission. It was such a mess, really. “A lot of equipment goes missing here.”

 

You thought about this, shrugging and agreeing. It wasn’t anything major, or not that you knew of. Your superiors would start investigations if it was, wouldn’t they? Equipment going missing sometimes preceded worse leaks. Information leaks. Other times it was the opposite. Sabotage could occur as well; officers wanting to shame General Hux, perhaps get him kicked off the project so that they could take over. Or did it have anything to do with Kylo Ren? The bullying  _ had _ worsened after the dark robed man had started paying visits to the base.

 

Truth be told, you hadn’t been paying full attention recently given that you had been handling that nasty breakup.

 

“They’re usually smaller things. If someone stole, say, a ship, I think people would be talking.”

 

“Unless those objects are test runs. Clearance cylinders aren’t particularly large.”

 

Golden boy had a point. This presented an even greater mystery than what his last name may or may not be.

 

“Matt...are you really a radar technician?” It was not the brightest thing to do, ask a potential spy or undercover internal affairs officer such a question. He shot you a look of confusion. “You seem knowledgeable about things beyond your area of expertise.”

 

“And you are different?” Touché. “My interests aside from my responsibilities as a radar technician do assist in furthering the goals of the First Order. My wrenches being stolen coupled with your temporary loss in regards to your clearance cylinder have allowed suspicions to form.” Also fair.

 

Matt had a brilliant mind, and this was not anything you had failed to notice before. You had been caught up more in his puns and his flirtations. The failure of this base could screw him over in terms of his career. Or wind up in a large death toll for the First Order.

 

“This is a pretty bleak subject, I have to say,” you said with a grimace. “Not date appropriate.”

 

“Date?” Golden boy’s face went red all the way to his ears. He cleared his throat, averting his gaze.

 

_ This  _ was more like it. More appropriate date atmosphere.


	13. Chapter 13

**Punsexual**

 

_ Thirteen _

 

The training room was a little more crowded than it had been the previous time. Matt did not react to the handful of officers that were present. They, however, looked his way. There was an expression of vague recognition followed by confusion. His face was familiar to them even though they couldn’t place it. Perhaps some of them had taken basic courses with him? Seen him in the halls and now wondered how he was in their training room? You decided it wasn’t important, at least for the time being.

 

Right now the important thing was enjoying your time with golden boy. He was no longer blushing, though that was okay.

 

“Are you going to show me how to throw a punch?” you asked, trying to strike up conversation. Matt shook his head while commenting that you had little difficulty in that area. It was a nice compliment he could pay. The man clearly put stock into fighting.

 

_ Maybe he was a bodyguard in the past? _

 

It was a fun thought. With the way he had defended you by standing up to your ex’s bunkmates, you could easily picture him in that profession.

 

Matt waved you over to one of the machines then gestured for you to hop on. You obliged, your curiosity again piqued. He climbed onto the one beside yours, an identical model. “Just a warm-up.” Curiosity intensified. What were you warming up to? As though the question was painted on your face, golden boy spoke again. “Maybe I want to watch you sweat.”

 

He had you blushing now. Matt had kept his voice low enough that the others in the training room wouldn’t hear unless they were purposely trying to eavesdrop. It was courteous.

 

“Wanting to check on my stamina?” you retorted once you had recovered. He shot you another smirk. “Making me work for a relationship?”

 

“They are hard work,” golden boy replied in agreement. He then licked his lips, moistening them. Stars, he was a tease. His continuous smirk meant that he  _ knew _ it. Not that you were complaining. You enjoyed the flirting. “I have an upcoming medical assessment.” And his honesty? It caught you off-guard at times. He was including you in his life in ways that your ex had kept you at arm’s length. Matt leaned towards you, and you met him halfway. Neither of you paused in your workout. His lips ghosted over yours—and then his cheekiness returned as he started to pull back without fulfilling that silent offer.

 

Your hand shot forward, going to the back of his head to tug him back to you. He released his machine with one hand as well, although this was to help keep you from falling. Your lips met his. Matt hungrily responded to the kiss without hesitation. After a moment, he pulled back in unison with pushing you back onto your machine in full. You half-heartedly glared at him.

 

“If you want another...you have to work for it.” That damn smirk and those kriffing, deliciously plump lips.

 

“Fine,” you huffed out, obeying in hopes that the next one wouldn’t end so soon.


	14. Chapter 14

**Punsexual**

 

_ Fourteen _

 

You were not out of shape given that the First Order ensured its officers passed their physical examinations. That did not mean you were held to the same standards as those who fought on the front line. Matt should have been in that same position; the fact that he was not sweating by the time you were did dredge up questions you had been harboring. Observing him out of the corner of your eye, you noted that his breathing had not altered much either. Golden boy had access to this training room. He was physically fit. The record stated that he was a radar technician, but that did not mean he had only one job. You had known other technicians who switched their field of expertise, studying and training in what little free time they had available. Or else chain of command decided that a technician would excel as an officer, and the individual was sent to the academy.

 

Then there was the reverse. An injured officer unfit for combat but capable of assisting elsewhere. Not quite ready to be booted from the First Order by means of an honorable or medical discharge.

 

It was this latter possibility that stilled your tongue. You had not observed any behavior from Matt indicative of such an injury, but that in no way meant one didn’t exist.

 

You ran your tongue over your lips as you remembered how his had felt. In the end, it did not matter how it was that he had become a radar technician. The fact remained that his entering the field had allowed you to meet him. His comments regarding equipment going missing and possibly being a test run for something larger had alerted you to the likelihood that he had work beyond the usual duties held by a radar technician. He may have been an intelligence or loyalty officer prior to this assignment. Rumor had it that there were areas Matt struggled with when it came to work as a radar technician.

 

Panting a little, you turned your head to fully consider the faux-blonde. “Matt?” He grunted, his eyes darting to your face. “Do you think I’m a person of interest?”

 

“You are intriguing.”

 

Flattering, but not what you had meant. The way his eyes shifted off of you indicated, or at least you believed that they indicated, he knew what you had been asking. It was that he either was not involved in a side mission to discover if there was a plot involving sabotage, or he was but did not want to admit to it. You wanted to respect that privacy. Not only because you could be detained by your superiors for fear of you leaking such information, but also because you genuinely cared for this man. You did not want to push him to give you information he did not want or was not ready to give. You reeled back, deciding against pressing further.

 

“Okay, Matt,” you said so that he would know he was off the hook. His shoulders seemed to relax. The two of you were going at different paces. You were slowing down. His pace had not changed. Did golden boy  _ ever _ tire? “How about this physical exam?”

 

“The idea of another checking me out isn’t to your liking?” You wrinkled your nose at his teasing. Your face felt warm, and you were tumbling that sarcastic question around inside your head. If it had been someone other than a physician having such contact with him, how would you feel? A little jealous. Also confused; wasn’t he interested in  _ you _ ? Matt seemed to sense where your thoughts wandered. He sure had a knack for that. “A droid will be conducting the exam.”

 

“That’s rather kinky,” you said with a wink. His lips parted then twitched. A moment later, golden boy was smirking in amusement.

 

Matt leaned nearer to you. This time, when you met him halfway, it was not for a kiss. He whispered, his voice husky, “You have no idea.” Your heart fluttered, your stomach did a flip, and you felt heat traveling to more than just your face.


	15. Chapter 15

**Punsexual**

 

_ Fifteen _

 

Matt had hardly broken a sweat by the time that he stopped what  _ he _ might dub a ‘light workout’, but what  _ you _ would refer to as a ‘good day’s work’. Yes, a small part of you was wondering if this man dabbled in spice. You had heard of others doing so. The right sort to boost their stamina until they were high enough in rank to avoid some of the physical tests that lower ranks faced. You shoved aside that stray thought, and felt guilty that it had presented itself at all. Fact was that this man kept his body in shape. For whatever reason he did so, he  _ did it _ . And you were not going to be overly prideful and not ask him how he did it. Any tips could help you. Once you hit a certain score, you would get a pass on the next physical test following it. That meant less stress.

 

“I need a few pointers,” you said, raising your arms above your head to stretch out the muscles. Matt’s lips tugged to one side. You amused him. “Or access to this training room with you every now and again. It’s nicer than the one I get to use on a regular basis. If you come with me, you can help me out...show me the ropes.”

 

Golden boy jabbed his thumb, indicating a portion of the room behind the two of you. You twisted around. Rolled your eyes. Smiled, too, but couldn’t help yourself from shaking your head. You had forgotten there  _ were _ climbing ropes. You studied them and decided that, on second thought, maybe it was a good thing he had pointed them out. They could help you build upper body strength. You would need to purchase some sports gloves for yourself. While First Order personnel got a discount on such equipment, they weren’t free. Those were considered extra.

 

“It’s a plan,” you said while nodding in the direction of the ropes. “Next time.”

 

“Okay.” He lowered his arms to his sides. Those brown eyes darted to the ropes then back to your face. “Kinky droid voyeurism and ropes.” Damn him for making your face several degrees warmer. “What else are you into?”

 

“Oh, a bit of this and a touch of that.”

 

“Touching what?” Ooo. You wanted to have another witty response. Why wasn’t one coming?

 

You were grateful that one had failed to arrive when you noticed that his question wasn’t a part of his flirting. He had become distracted by one of the officers in the training room. Though he had asked for you to elaborate, he still was not paying attention. Your eyes darted from his face to the officer, back and forth a handful of times. The officer, a man with light-colored hair and dark eyes, looked up from his conversation with two of his peers to meet Matt’s gaze. He straightened, standing taller, and uttered out a swear. You could read his lips enough to know precisely what he said. That did not mean you understood  _ why _ .

 

But, Maker, your interest was piqued.

 

“Who is that?” you asked, raising yourself up onto your toes then setting your feet flat on the floor once more. This drew the faux-blonde’s attention back to you. His eyes darted up and down your body. He furrowed his brow. It felt as though he had forgotten either  _ where _ he was, or  _ who _ he was.  _ Very interesting. _ Depending on how things turned out, you might be tempted to bring Neola and Ylleul along one of the times you spent with the radar technician. That was the only way they would be able to give you good advice. As you had told Matt, you wanted this to be more than a rebound. Something more that was  _ stable _ .

 

Matt sidestepped to where he was in front of you, blocking you from the officer’s view. “One of Hux’s.” He hissed out the words like they were poison. Your eyes widened in surprise at that tone; if anyone reported him to General Hux for being disrespectful, he would face some serious consequences. “He should be on a mission.”

 

And how, exactly, did Matt know these things? This solidified your suspicions that he had a job outside of being a radar technician.

 

You tried to step around him, prompting golden boy to sidestep again. Another attempt from you. He preempted you this time. “Matt,” you said, allowing a trace of your annoyance to bleed through. His head shifted a fraction to the side, enough to where he could see you in the corner of his eye. “I’m pretty sure he already saw me.”

 

“He might report your presence to General Hux.” Kriff. Why did Matt bring you here if there were potential, and rather severe, consequences? “You won’t be punished.”

 

“You can’t promise that,” you said, feeling as though everything was tightening in your chest while your intestines seemed to twist. A twitch of his jaw. “Or...maybe you...can?” This time you were narrowing your eyes, staring at him with mounting suspicion. “You have connections, don’t you?”

 

‘“Yes.” Simple. Offering no extra information. Just like Matt. You nodded, accepting his answer and placing your trust in him. “Hux may speak with you. He enjoys hearing himself talk.” You barked out a laugh, covered your mouth with both of your hands, and nearly doubled over as you continued with your laughter. His cheekiness was astounding. Refreshing. “Shh.” It was hard to quiet yourself when his smirk was on the verge of becoming a grin.

 

You were still struggling to contain giggles when Matt managed to pull you out of the training room. His body shielded you from the officer’s view the entire time. Reassurance that he was devoted to protecting you. Once the door closed, you grabbed the front of golden boy’s shirt, tugged him forward, and kissed him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays to all~ Merry Christmas~

**Punsexual**

 

_ Sixteen _

 

One repercussion of befriending Matt the radar technician and following him into training rooms with limited access was this: you were presently learning that the First Order, namely General Hux, served piping hot tea. In both senses. In front of you, on the ginger’s desk, was a mug for you that matched the one in his hand. Tarine tea, a bitter flavor that was also rather expensive. This was your first glass, and you hadn’t yet convinced yourself that you were ready to take the dive to try it. Not only because it would scald your tongue. You also were waiting for the moment that your superior asked a question that would necessitate a verbal response. If your mouth was filled with tea, that would leave you spluttering. So, instead, you contented yourself with listening to the other sort of tea that General Hux was so skilled at delivering.

 

When Matt had been talking about missing equipment, he hadn’t been lying. Clearance cylinders had been reported lost. Yours was not a part of that statistic since you had managed to recover yours. The interesting part, to you, was that it seemed that the owners of those missing or misplaced cylinders held a higher rank than you did. Not that General Hux was outright saying as much. You were good at reading between the lines here.

 

Yours thoughts of  _ Man, this is some good tea _ bespoke of how mundane life as a technician could be. Because, Maker, you so did not want anything bad to happen. Not something as extreme as sabotage, which you believed was highly likely given all that you had heard from Matt and what you were now hearing (and not hearing) from General Hux. Those read-between-the-lines statements of his had you hooked. For one thing, the ginger-haired man did not refer to Matt by name, however he  _ did _ reference him, whether knowingly or not.  _ New personnel _ and  _ extra observant _ coupled with  _ longstanding problem that clearly necessitated more extreme measures to include investigations. _

 

The sweet, juicy gossip turned sour and, much like tarine tea, bitter when the man arrived at: “Which is why your presence in the training room cannot be ignored.” Slag, you thought, Matt had told you that he would have your back. That you would not be punished. So you kept your mouth shut, still trusting the faux-blonde with the hopes that he hadn’t been lying to you. Your throat undulated as you swallowed thickly. Sweat had started to gather on the small of your back. “Do you not like the tea?” the man asked, a slight edge to his voice. His nose twitched a little in distaste over the idea that anyone could dislike his favorite brew.

 

You cupped both of your hands around the still-hot mug, and pulled it to your mouth. Winced as the hot liquid burned your tongue before it made its somewhat painful journey down your esophagus. General Hux bent over, leaning down enough to where his face was in line with yours.

 

“It is my duty to be aware of interpersonal relationships that may interfere with the functionality of the First Order, and, more specifically, this base.” A momentary pause as he took a breath. Likely, this was his attempt at creating some suspense. And it worked! “Are you sleeping with Matt?”

 

He wanted  _ you _ to serve the tea now. And you may as well have, for your response failed to deliver the impression that you were neither denying nor confirming what was going on between you and the radar technician.

 

“I don’t kiss and tell!”

 

A single arched eyebrow. “Really?” A second chance. That was not a good sign. General Hux was merciless! Unless...unless he wanted an excuse to hear himself talk more. You did not realize you were nodding in affirmation to your internal musings until the redhead shifted to where he was standing at his full height. “Because if you are, let me assure you that it would be in poor taste.”

 

_ And that’s the tea, _ your mind quipped. Meanwhile your mouth sputtered: “Why can’t I sleep with Matt?” Except that it was jumbled together  _ whycantisleepwithmatt? _

 

That was when General Hux switched from serving tea to gracing you with a ‘Tage Talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I keep starting to call Hux's tarine tea "turpentine tea"


	17. Chapter 17

**Punsexual**

 

_ Seventeen _

 

The ‘Tage Talk that General Hux delivered encouraged him, somehow, to speak to you as though you were someone dear to him. He had always been known to fill his speeches with emotions. The thing was, those emotions generally danced around passion or anger. This? You wondered if he was biding his time to watch you perish. Maybe he had poisoned your tea? You doubted it. If Armitage Hux wanted you dead, there were far easier ways to ensure that occurred. The inspiration for him to use such a tone was to manipulate you into believing everything he said. The redhead wanted you to be on his side. Technically speaking, you  _ were _ on his side. Except not when it came to Matt.

 

How it was that the radar technician had found his way onto General Hux’s shitlist, you didn’t know. Your superior officer never offered up that particular part of the story. He had instead delved straight into informing you that, given your pristine work history, there was absolutely no reason for you to chance besmirching your, as he put it, ‘good name’ — he probably hadn’t heard the rumors your ex had spread — by fraternizing with Matt. Why Matt was working on the same base as General Hux, that you were uncertain of as well.

 

Why wasn’t the faux-blonde dead or fired if  _ the General Hux _ despised him?

 

“...reckless behavior that endangers those around him…”

 

The more you listened to him, the more you wondered if General Hux was mistaking Matt for Kylo Ren. Then it hit you… They strength. Access to the training room. Secrets.

 

Matt was one of the First Order personnel assigned to spar with Kylo Ren. Except...he didn’t have enough scars for that.

 

Fighting off the urge to frown or pout, you raised the tarine tea up to your lips and took another sip. Winced as its bitterness assaulted your tastebuds again. The flavor gave you another moment to arrive at a new memory: General Armitage Hux also disliked Captain Edrison Peavey, and he likely said colorful things about  _ him  _ too. Another reason to not wind up on the redhead’s list. Would continuing to see Matt do that? Would it be career suicide? Another sip of tea so that you could mull it over. Your superior occasionally surveyed your face to gauge your reactions to his words. You had to tread carefully, had to keep your mouth busy so that it couldn’t frown or scowl or anything of that sort.

 

The mystery that was Matt would never be solved at this rate.

 

By the time you were dismissed from General Hux’s office, you had decided to treat Matt as you wanted to be treated. When he had endured an entire shift with ex without allowing the other’s opinion of you to sway how he felt, that had meant a lot to you. You weren’t going to be a hypocrite and do otherwise. That being said, you decided that you  _ were _ going to address some of the lingering questions. He was allowed his secrets, but not at the expense of your career. You would heed General Hux’s advice in proceeding with caution.

 

Matt was waiting for you down the hall and around the corner from the office you had been seated in during your meeting with General Hux. You jumped, startled, when you turned the corner and nearly crashed into him.

 

“Slag, Matt!” you yelped in surprise, placing a hand over your heart. “You shouldn’t be here. You’ll get in trouble. General Hux has no tender feelings for you.” A snort from the radar technician, as if he had expected nothing less. “I’m trying to not, uhm, let it influence how I feel about you.”

 

“How you feel about me?” he parroted. You waved a hand in the air dismissively. “He likes to hear himself talk.”

 

“Oh, I believe you on that.” It occurred to you that he was trying to distract you from clinging onto the things that General Hux had said. He wanted you to forget specifics. Which made you realize that General Hux hadn’t exactly been specific, had he? Guarded in much the same way Matt was. That confirmed it for you; Matt  _ was _ on a secret mission, and it had something to do with the missing tools. “I was thinking of one day requesting additional positions in the First Order. Maybe expand my expertise. What do you think?”

 

“You should be careful.” His voice was different, deeper, than you had ever heard it. “There are many positions you would be wise to avoid.” Matt smirked, his mood shifting. “And others that I would enjoy seeing you in.”

 

It was flattering, yes. But also aggravating. You opted to not respond to him, and within time the two of you parted ways. He had work to do, meanwhile you wanted some down time. Not to think. There had been too much thinking. Maybe that was the problem? Whatever the case, you gladly laid down upon your bunk and pressed the heels of your hands against your eyes. All of your energy had been siphoned out of your veins. The secrecy was beginning to put a strain on the budding relationship, and no matter how many times you told yourself that it wouldn’t, it  _ did _ .

 

Because your ex was an ass, but he hadn’t been on General Hux’s shitlist. Matt was nicer, at least to you, however he was.

 

A  _ ding _ from your comlink made your stomach churn. You didn’t want to answer it. Didn’t want to talk to anyone. That wasn’t something you could afford to do, however; ignoring the comlink meant that you could potentially miss an important summons or orders from one of your many superiors. That was one promise you  _ could _ keep. Matt wouldn’t cost you your career. By the time you grabbed the device the ringing had stopped. The next sound came from your datapad. The messaging center, your mind quickly supplied.

 

What was so important? Who was attempting to contact you?

 

You picked up the next device, and read the brief message.

 

_ Beware the smoking gun; it has loose lips. _

 

Biting your bottom lip, you lifted your gaze to the sender. Cold dread filled your body. It was not General Hux nor Matt. The individual that had sent you the message was someone with whom you had never expected to communicate. Kylo Ren.

 

Whatever trouble Matt was involved with, it wouldn’t be only your career on the line. It was your life. The issue was that you didn’t know what or who the smoking gun was. General Hux, who liked the hear himself talk? Matt the radar technician, who had been dropping hints to you? Your ex, who had started the rumors — okay, realistically, that wasn’t likely at all. The smoking gun, whoever or whatever it was, had been in contact with you though. Or would be.

 

_ If I don’t figure things out soon, I am so screwed. _


	18. Chapter 18

**Punsexual**

 

_ Eighteen _

 

You didn’t know if you would refer to yourself as  _ obsessive _ in a general sense, however you were ready to own up to the fact that you were, undoubtedly, obsessed with the message that had been sent to you by the Force using member of the First Order triumvirate. First of all, the warning terrified you. Secondly, were you meant to reply to the message? Would Kylo Ren consider you rude if you didn’t send a  _ k, thanks _ ? Given a moment, you decided that  _ k, thanks _ would be too informal, and the Master of the Knights of Ren would likely be offended that you had dared speak to him in such a familiar manner. Asking him for more details was out of the question. If he had wanted to be more forthcoming, he would have done so. Maybe. You didn’t have much of a relationship with the man outside of being his subordinate. Had never spoken with him.

 

One thing was for certain, and that was that you had caught the man’s eye. You didn’t know how you felt about that. Was Kylo Ren attractive?

 

_ What the kriff!? _ You screeched inside your head. Your face grew hot in frustration as you thought of just how wrong that was.  _ Matt! I like Matt! _ It did not matter what Kylo Ren looked like. Granted, sure, if  _ he _ found  _ you _ attractive, that would be quite the ego boost.

 

Because of those thought, you forbade yourself from replying to the message. You would not open a door to something that could turn into a betrayal against Matt. Instead you began to compose a new message addressed to golden boy. Your text to him was brief. It revealed that you had received a cryptic message from someone that warned you to be careful. You included the addition that you couldn’t help but think of the words of warning that Matt had spoken on more than one occasion. He responded...well, a little too quickly for someone who was supposed to be working.

 

**_Matt:_ ** _ Did you thank the sender? _

 

Kriff.

 

**_You:_ ** _ No. I didn’t reply. It’s a guy who sent it to me, so I didn’t know if that would be good. _

 

Maker, even to your own eyes, that was horrible. You didn’t send that message.

 

**_You:_ ** _ Not yet. I wanted your input first. I’ve never had contact with him before this. I hadn’t known he knew I existed. _

 

You nodded, shrugged, and sent that message.

 

**_Matt:_ ** _ ‘Him’? A name? _

 

Err… You squinted one eye and drew your shoulders upwards. Hunched over, you bit down on your bottom lip. Your attention darted from the message chain with Matt to the message that had been sent to you by Kylo Ren. If Matt was the one Kylo was warning you about, telling him would not be a good idea. Except you wanted, very much, to trust Matt.

 

**_You:_ ** _ You’ve probably heard of him ;P _

 

Your finger had tapped the send icon before you could delete the emoji.  _ That was so stupid. What am I? In the Academy? _ To kill some of the time as you waited for golden boy to reply to your latest message, you opened the one from Kylo Ren.

 

**_You [to Kylo]:_ ** _ How loose are the lips? _

 

No. That was too flirtatious. You highlighted then deleted the line.

 

**_You [to Kylo]:_ ** _ Affirmative, sir. _

 

Held up your hands and mentally insulted yourself. It was too late to change that message. You had already sent it.

 

**_Matt:_ ** _ I’ve heard of many people. Give a better hint. _

 

You pursed your lips forward. How much did you want to tease him?

 

**_You [to Matt]:_ ** _ Tall, dark, might be handsome might be hideous. _

 

You went ahead and sent that message. If Matt dropped hints that he didn’t appreciate the wording, you would reel back and apologize. This could very well be a good way to learn what boundaries existed.

 

**_Kylo Ren:_ ** _ Your lack of appreciation is noted. _

 

Kriiiiiffff. You made a strangling motion at the screen. You should have gone with your gut instinct to tell him  _ k, thanks _ . Now he thought you were unappreciative, rude, and who knew what else! On top of that, Matt had not yet responded. Were both men going to be aggravated by what you wrote? Holding your breath, you made an attempt at remedying the situation with your superior.

 

**_You [to Kylo]:_ ** _ Sorry, sir. Thank you, sir. _

 

Still no word from Matt. Tall-dark-might-be-handsome-might-be-hideous replied before the golden boy.

 

**_Kylo Ren:_ ** _ Better. You should be grateful for whatever I give you. _

 

**_You [to Kylo]:_ ** _ I am, sir. Always grateful to receive things from you. _

 

Sent. Blanching. Dread.

 

**_Kylo Ren:_ ** _ You will be. _

 

You drew back from the device. Then swiftly exited out of the chain with your superior, not continuing the conversation. You didn’t want to hear from him anymore. Your face was so hot. You had fallen into the trap. It hadn’t been you opening the door. Kylo Ren had opened the door by sending the message. You? You had skipped on right through and thrown yourself at him. Suddenly you regretted how you had described the man to Matt, who still had yet to reply.

 

**_You [to Matt]:_ ** _ That was a bad joke. Kylo Ren. _

 

It hurt to breathe as you waited. Thankfully, Matt at long last sent an answer.

 

**_Matt:_ ** _ I was going to guess Snoke. _

 

**_You:_ ** _ wtk? No! _

 

**_Matt:_ ** _ Wtk??? _

 

**_You:_ ** _ What the kriff. No. How do you get Snoke out of that? _

 

**_Matt:_ ** _ Kinky droid voyeurism and ropes and Snoke. _

 

You bit down on your tongue, a smile spreading. It felt as though a weight had been lifted. You knew that you wouldn’t be messaging Kylo Ren again. You really liked Matt. His joking, how understanding he could be. Which did make you feel more guilty, and which was the reason you typed and sent:

 

**_You:_ ** _ I think he took my responses for flirting. I feel horrible, like I wasn’t loyal to you. _

 

**_Matt:_ ** _ Don’t lie. You just want a threesome. Let the droids watch as we tie you up with ropes. _

 

Your jaw dropped. Matt had been right. You really hadn’t known how kinky he was.


	19. Chapter 19

**Punsexual**

 

_ Nineteen _

 

The teasing from golden boy did not cease when you next saw him in person. You felt beyond flustered. Did not know how you felt. Was he serious about the threesome? On that same note, how did  _ you _ feel about it? You were not entirely sure. On one hand, it would be amazing. On the other, it would be awkward. On an imaginary third hand, you were a little afraid that Kylo Ren was violent during sex. He had tantrums from time to time and tore through consoles with his lightsaber. Once you were tied up with ropes, you would hardly be able to properly defend yourself. Matt had proved he was into some things in the bedroom —and training room—so you were not sure if he would stand back and watch. Kriff, you hoped not. He had defended your honor once. He better do it again!

 

“Did you?” he asked once more. You released a snort. Matt had asked you if you had continued flirting with Kylo Ren. You had told him  _ of course not _ , to which he had then questioned if you had had any further communications at all. This you had not yet answered. You hadn’t responded to any of the messages that your superior had sent. You had yet to decide how you felt about them. “You didn’t.”

 

A huff escaped you. You pulled out one of the tools necessary to complete your job from the kit that you had brought with you. Matt was present since he had been charged with several tasks inside the same room. He was done. You weren’t. He was apparently having the time of his life. You, well, weren’t having a horrible time, but you were not so enthusiastic about this conversation. Kylo Ren had not been inappropriate, not outright. He  _ had _ propositioned you though.

 

You clenched your teeth, drew back from the wire you had been working with, and tilted back your head. “Look. He asked me if I wanted to see  _ everything _ he had to offer me.”

 

“Like for a job?”

 

Sometimes Matt could be innocent. “A blow-job, maybe,” you grumbled. You clicked your tongue against the roof of your mouth. “I’m not going to do it. I’m not going to be all ‘Kriff, Kylo, send me a dick pic, you sexy manbeast’.” You had placed both of your hands over your heart, fluttered your eyelashes, and tried to make your voice as sexy as possible. The mockery refused to stay away. “If I don’t answer him, I might live for another week or so. If I do? I’ll probably die.”

 

Golden boy muttered a  _ He wouldn’t kill you _ that made it sound as though he knew Kylo Ren on a personal level. It was not the first time this had been hinted. And that made you feel awkward. Was he pushing for a threesome? Or was he not as interested in you as you had thought? Maybe he had been hoping it would be a simple rebound. He could be staying on until you slept with them, and then he would leave. Shove you over to Kylo, who was clearly interested. All of this, and you had yet to figure out what it was that your superior was trying to warn you about.

 

“Did you give him my contact info?” you asked whilst shoving your tool back into the kit. No response. You looked over your shoulder to discover him messing with a commdevice. “Who are you chatting with?” His eyes lifted from the display—which you were unable to see—and settled on your face. Still no response. “You did. You’re chatting with now, aren’t you?”

 

“Why would you think that?” He stood just as you did, as though he had anticipated the action. You growled in the back of your throat, and tried to reach for the device. He held his arm off to the side. Out of your reach. “It isn’t Kylo, and you don’t have the proper clearance to view this message.”

 

You stopped immediately. As frustrating as it was, there was a high chance that he was telling you the truth. You placed your hands on your hips and cocked your head to the side. Gave him an opening to say something to you. Not about the sensitive information, no, but in regards to the situation with Kylo Ren. You wanted to know if he had forwarded your information to the Force user. Because if he hadn’t, that meant you were somehow close to a person of interest. That individual was plotting something against the First Order, and they were willing to take you down with them.

 

_ Kriff… It can’t be Neola or Ylleul, can it? _

 

Matt lowered his arm after he was certain that you would not attempt to grab at the commdevice a second time. “Kylo Ren has access to all personnel files.” That made things worse. “What warning did he give you?”

 

“I…” You glanced at the device in his hands. “I don’t know if you have the proper clearance.” It was not a lie, not exactly. Golden boy had to sense that since he failed to protest. “I am  _ not _ going to flirt with him, but… I’m going to resume communications with him. Is that okay?”

 

“You should ask him for that picture,” he said, smirking. You frowned at him, but nevertheless appreciated that he was telling you in a roundabout way that he trusted you. You speaking with Kylo Ren would not ruin your relationship with Matt.

 

At the end of your work shift, you pulled your commdevice into your lap and began composing a message. More than eight times you deleted everything that you had typed up. Being straight-to-the-point might not get you anywhere. Then you risked being handed proof that your friendship or friendships were ill-advised. That idea hurt quite a lot. You had just gotten out of a relationship. That you were now able to accept with limited bitterness. Discovering that one or both of your close friends, whom you had been confiding in, were traitors to the First Order?

 

To make yourself feel better, you made goofy faces while jokingly typing in:  _ Ey there, sexy thang. Send me dat dick pic. _

 

You highlighted the message and hit delete.

 

Felt your heart stop and cold dread fill you.

 

**_Kylo Ren:_ ** _ Every keystroke is recorded. _

 

_ Mother-kriffer, stop watching them then! _

 

You flung your device towards the end of your bed and slammed yourself back against your pillow. Then, glutton for punishment that you were, you sat back up and pulled it into your lap again.

 

**_You:_ ** _ That was for my boyfriend, Matt. _

 

**_Kylo Ren:_ ** _ Allow me to forward the message for you. _

 

You tensed your legs and swore aloud. If you told him no, he would know that you were lying. If you said nothing, Matt might very well send you a dick pic. Which you wouldn’t object to, except obviously Kylo Ren was monitoring your messages.

 

**_You:_ ** _ I changed my mind. I was going to delete it. I don’t want another dick in my inbox. _

 

Your eye roamed over what you had written.

 

**_Kylo Ren:_ ** _ A slip of the finger? _

 

He had just acknowledged that he was being a dick. You read over the message five times. Decided that he was probably rather pleased with himself. He liked being a dick.

 

**_You:_ ** _ Or I was typing with my toes. _

 

That didn’t count as flirting, did it?

 

**_Kylo Ren:_ ** _ Your fingers were otherwise occupied? _

 

It so did. You exited out of the exchange, and sent a message to Matt. A quick:  _ I think I messed up again. _

 

**_[New Message from Kylo Ren]_ **

 

Ah, slag. He was still monitoring things.

 

**_[New Message from Matt]_ **

 

You squeezed one eye closed while opening it.

 

**_Matt:_ ** _ Pics or it didn’t happen. _

 

That was a good idea, you decided. You would have proof that—

 

“What just happened?” You leapt to your feet. The message chain with Kylo Ren disappeared. It was not in the inbox nor the read messages nor the trash bin. He had deleted everything. “Is Kylo the mole?”

 

**_[New Message from Kylo Ren]_ **

 

You were a cat, and your curiosity might take away one of your nine lives.

 

**_Kylo Ren:_ ** _ Smoking gun is proof. This one has lips. _

 

So, you thought, someone in the First Order was proof that something was happening. Or was Kylo Ren leading you on in a strange courting ritual?

 

**_You:_ ** _ Am I in danger? _

 

**_Kylo Ren:_ ** _ Yes. _


	20. Chapter 20

**Punsexual**

 

_ Twenty _

 

To follow up your previous question, you inquired if it was  _ mortal danger _ . To which your superior replied, his snarky wit getting the better of him,  _ as opposed to immortal danger? _ At that point, you decided that he was not going to be as forthcoming as you likely needed him to be. Nevertheless you did appreciate that he had reached out to you at all. Now that you knew you were in mortal danger? You would have to watch your back, and find a way to get Kylo Ren to open up enough that you could take care of yourself. The unfortunate thing was that you knew this meant a personal visit. A face-to-mask meeting.

 

You did not dare fumble to type out a request to see him though. Obviously he was keen on observing the keystrokes. It made this more than a little awkward for you.

 

It was near impossible for you to fall asleep during the night shift; you lost consciousness five minutes before your alarm went off, and so awoke with a groan. If someone wanted to kill you, they would not have to try very hard. A simple ‘bump’ that sent you tumbling down a lift or into the path of some other hazard? You almost wanted to take a sick day. Except you had no sick days left. Those were not handed out like candy in the First Order. You received candy once a month as part of a morale boost. Sick days? Unless one completed some miraculous feat, it was better to pretend those did not exist. A physician could assign them at their discretion, but that did not happen too often either. Regular medical exams meant that most preventable diseases were not seen. This was the standard for technicians at least. You did not remember how it went for others. Stormtroopers likely had it worse off. You took a moment to pity them, and then literally rolled out of bed.

 

Another technician, Birch, was assigned to shadow you for the first portion of your shift. He had only recently graduated from the Academy, and this was his first real duty station. You surmised that he was either damn good at his job, or his family was well-connected enough to where they could secure him this assignment. You did not much care either way. You were more worried with trying to find a solution to your own problems.

 

“Lesson number one,” you said, not failing to fulfill your role as mentor despite personal issues. You held up one finger, glanced Birch’s way to ensure he was paying attention, and proceeded. “Always know where your clearance cylinders and tools are.” The younger technician patted the front of his shirt, as if he was worried he hadn’t brought the cylinders with him. His hand then dropped to the kit. Birch rummaged through it. That was when you shoved all of your worries away in order to better focus. You were far too tired to manage both, and you were  _ not _ going to be responsible for this guy failing at his job. “Don’t worry about being perfect right off the bat. You are set to shadow me and three other technicians this first week for a reason.”

 

You spoke those words with all the kindness you could muster. Relief washed over the younger  technician’s face. Birch gave a nod, the rummaging coming to an end. It was not difficult for anyone to be nervous when you were assigned to the duty station where any of the members of the First Order triumvirate were present. Given that presently all three were there? You would have been sweating too had this been your first day. That was one area in which you had been lucky. You had worked at a smaller outpost, which meant that there were less distractions, fewer chances of becoming lost.

 

That final portion was what kept you from giving too many directions to Birch in terms of how to get from one place to another. You gave him better advice: use your map until you’re confident, slowly wean yourself away from relying on that, commit it to memory.

 

You had long before memorized the layout, which was why it came as a surprise to you that Birch, having rounded the next corner first, crashed. People were effective obstacles it seemed. This specific person was one such obstacle you hoped to never crash into in the literal sense. You winced, feeling rather bad, as well as worried, for your mentee. Birch was fumbling to apologize to the man, whose mask was directed on you. You quickly saluted him...then winced again, taking a step backwards and wondering why it was suddenly hard to act like your normal self.

 

“I’m sorry I did not see you there, sir!” Birch said, at last managing to supply a coherent sentence. Kylo Ren paid him heed now that he had been properly addressed.

 

“I did not know our technicians had the ability to see through walls.”

 

He did not linger after that, your superior ignoring the fact that once more your fellow technician had started to fumble for words. The pair of you turned to track the Force user’s movements. Your tired mind attempted to unravel the mystery. Why had he stared at you if he wasn’t going to say anything? Did he even recognize you at all? For all you knew, he was aware of your contact information without knowing what you looked like in person. Birch probably hoped that Kylo Ren would not commit  _ his _ face to memory.

 

“The closest thing I have to x-ray vision is x-rated vision,” Birch muttered under his breath. Your eyebrows rose at that. Your gaze traveled up and down the other’s body. He did not notice. The man was preoccupied with working the toe of his boot back and forth on the ground. His cheeks flush with a deep layer of blush. His awkwardness reminded you a little of Matt. Maybe golden boy could help you show this guy the ropes, albeit  _ not _ the ones in the gym.

 

Pretending that you had not heard proof of Birch’s dirty mind, you cleared your throat and gestured towards the end of the hallway. The pair of you continued on.

 

Your day became more uneventful after Birch’s time with you came to an end for the shift. The bad thing about this was that you were again obsessing over the cryptic messages that Kylo Ren had been sending you. Why did he care if you were in mortal danger? Weren’t you just the same as anyone else to him? Unimportant. No Force abilities. Boring. You had  _ never _ heard of him taking an interest in someone like you.

 

You stirred your cup of caf with a thin, red straw. It was not be best brew, if you were to be honest. But you needed something to keep you awake. Taking a swig, you cringed and forced yourself to swallow. You absolutely hated when they messed up on the caf. It hardly helped that you had not caught sight of Matt. You had hoped to speak with him some more, to try to figure out what his connection with Kylo Ren was. If anyone could help you with Kylo, it was golden boy.

 

Except he wasn’t there.

 

But Kylo Ren was; the man’s robe swishing back and forth with every step he took. You did not realize that your lips were forming the word  _ swish _ in time with the movements of the robe. Not until he was less than a foot away from you, and your mouth finished its final  _ swish _ .

 

_ Oh. _

 

“Sir.” You set the cup of caf down on the table, and moved to stand. Your exhaustion rendered you weak, which caused you to sway in place. Kylo Ren took a step backwards, as though he was attempting to step out of the way should you pitch forward. Luckily you did not, which meant you were saved from the indignity of slamming your face on the ground. Another thing was for sure: Kylo Ren was not chivalrous like your Matt was. “Is there something you need, sir?”

 

His head had been tilted slightly to the left, and now it moved towards the right. He was studying you, you surmised, although you were still unsure why. “I have a job for you.”

 

_ Not a blow-job, I hope _ , you thought, shrinking in on yourself. Your eyes darted about the room. It was the first time you noticed that everyone else had left. Only droids remained in the cafeteria. Geez, had you fallen asleep for a moment there?

 

“Come.” Your mind had remained on a different track. Birch’s comment from earlier coupled with your previous thought painted the command in a much different light. You snorted. Then covered your face with one hand as Kylo, who had been in the process of turning around, paused. He dipped his mask. “One would think you would take matters concerning your life more seriously.”

 

You dropped the hand down. “I am very serious, sir.” He did not respond to this comment. You followed along after him, the man leading you back through a portion of the base you had worked on earlier, and then further still. Through three sets of doors that you did not personally have the proper clearance cylinders to open.

 

Was it bad that you were getting excited?

 

“Remain focused,” he said, as though reading your thoughts.

 

Kylo Ren was  _ such _ a killjoy.


	21. Chapter 21

**Punsexual**

 

_ Twenty-One _

 

Releasing a deep moan, you mentally retracted your inner statement that Kylo Ren was a killjoy. The man was a god among men. He knew how to deliver, that was for certain. The warmth spreading through you, this feeling of being filled with something so utterly delicious… Another groan of delight. You sucked two fingers into your mouth. It was difficult to get enough of that flavor. You shifted a little, and reached forward with your hand that wasn’t already preoccupied. Kylo Ren’s visor followed your every move. Flicking to your outstretched hand then to the fingers you caressed with your tongue. You hadn’t had it this good in, slag, years?

 

In other situations, someone might have considered you  _ cheap _ . But this was the First Order, and pizza, breadsticks, soda, and dipping sauce wasn’t something a technician came by easily. Hell, even officers often didn’t have it this good. Namely on this base.

 

“Kriff,” you whispered under your breath, nearly missing the  _ filthy _ that hissed through the vocoder, sounding almost like a mere exhalation. You ducked your head, feeling a little sheepish, but grabbed for another slice to dunk into the sauce. You pulled the cup containing your beverage to your lips first, and took a long drink. Your work vest was on the floor, and you had loosened the buttons on your outershirt. You were still properly covered by your undershirt if anyone wanted to get  _ too _ picky. Kylo Ren was not being picky. He nudged the plate of pizza closer to you, the man obviously enjoying the show. “Thanks.”

 

The two of you were supposed to be discussing the mole, or at least the situation so far as it dealt with putting you in peril. Kylo Ren, however, was far more of a voyeur than those nonexistent droids you and Matt often joked about. He had set the food in front of you, managed to begin a single sentence that never saw completion, and then fallen silent as that first moan had emerged.

 

Armitage served tea and ‘tage talks.

 

Kylo Ren served pizza and soda.

 

You were becoming one spoilt little technician, and you weren’t going to say that you were sorry.

 

“You seem so hungry,” Kylo Ren said, his voice rather level for someone who had been nearly breathless before. You nodded enthusiastically. “And so...thirsty.” Another nod. You grabbed up the soda. “What other needs of your has this  _ Matt _ failed to fulfill?”

 

Okay. Woah. You choked on the bite of breadstick that had been in your mouth. Your hand went to your throat. And then you felt the strangest sensation, something invisible tugging the offending piece of food away. Your choking ceased, although you still coughed periodically due to the irritation in your throat.

 

“U-uhm… I thought we were here for...uh...business.” Your eyes darted to the remaining pizza and breadsticks. Down to your fingers, which still possessed residual sauce. “My life is in danger, right?” Stupid question to ask someone who could murder you with a flick of the wrist. Or by flirting while you ate pizza... _ that _ would have been a great way to go. Death by pizza: the new Kylo Ren choking method. “Is it someone I’m really close to? I mean...say… Neola or Ylleul?” There. You had asked him outright.

 

...and he was using the Force to nudge another breadstick closer to you.

 

“I’m, uhm… I’m not hungry.”

 

“Mm.” He extended an arm, grabbed hold of a small box, and set it nearer. As he drew back his hand, he flipped open the lid. “Dessert?”

 

Slag. The Dark side really did have cookies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn it, Kylo, you're confusing your girlfriend by flirting with her as yourself.


	22. Chapter 22

**Punsexual**

 

_ Twenty-Two _

 

This was the dilemma: did you accept the cookie and face the possibility that it was also an acceptance of whatever he was trying to get you to do with him? Or did you reject them, chancing that you were rejecting them for nothing at all. And they looked absolutely delicious. Smelled fantastic. Your mouth was salivating. You  _ were _ pretty full after the pizza and breadsticks. But...cookies. You shifted in the chair while debating further. Tried to imagine Matt, and what advice he might give you.  _ Pics or it didn’t happen _ . Encouraging you to talk with Kylo Ren. He’d probably take the cookie, knowing him. He seemed like a cookie kind of guy.

 

Matt was also the one who seemed upfront in many situations. Defending your honor. It was time that you repaid that favor in kind.

 

“Uhm, sir?” Kylo Ren’s mask dipped in a nod that you nearly missed. “Matt is… I like him. He’s pretty important to me. And the cookie? Matt’s worth more than a cookie.”

 

“How sweet.” Bored. A touch of mockery. The Force user began to tug back the cookies. He stopped, however, when you let a frown form on your face. One that was filled with judgment. One that said you thought his actions were the equivalent of what scum would do. That he was, therefore, scum. Kylo Ren removed his hand from the box. “Your loyalty is admirable.”

 

Did he just compliment you for turning him down?

 

You squinted your eyes, yet again wondering if Matt and Kylo were somehow friends. Or close enough to it since you were unsure if Kylo even had friends. The flirting could very well be his way of ensuring you would not cheat on the faux-blonde. Or it may have been a test to see if he was willing to divulge further information in regards to this  _ smoking gun _ . Whatever the case, you seemed to have passed — which earned you a cookie as Kylo Ren relaxed against the back of his seat. You hoped that your guesses, one of them, was correct. It would suck for him to start flirting with you again after biding his time.

 

“Matt was not intentionally standing out. You’ve complicated things, possibly compromising his position.”

 

Wait, wait, wait. Your mind screamed. Matt  _ was _ the smoking gun. Proof that something was wrong. You did not think he was the danger to your life. At least, you _ hoped _ he wasn’t.

 

You nodded, not trusting yourself to say anything at all, not even ask one of the many questions floating through your mind. Kylo Ren would reveal information in his own time. That was how it always happened with him from what you had heard. That he was giving you warning, it did seem as though he was involved in Matt’s current assignment. That may well have been the extent of their relationship. Guilt flooded through you at the thought that you might be compromising not only Matt’s career, but his life as well. His interactions with you — taking you to the training room, having you reported to General Hux, and even defending you when you had gone to retrieve your clearance cylinder — all had placed more attention on him. It was harder for him to blend into the background. Not to mention the fact that you had tried to research his work history. Had even dragged Neola and Ylleul into doing so.

 

All the food that you had consumed churned in your stomach. You placed both of your hands on your gut, swaying in place as a quick wave of vertigo hit you. Kylo Ren picked up a glass of water, which he set within your reach. You greedily grabbed it, gulping it and swallowing to help shove the rising bile back down. You then set the glass back down. Your superior had not said another word, as though he was waiting for you to get yourself together first. Still, he did not speak even after you were breathing normally and the water was out of your hand. You didn’t like this; what were you supposed to say to him?

 

You at last grasped onto a question that you could pose. “How does that… Why am  _ I _ in mortal danger because of that?” It was not that you were being selfish. Understanding how your life was put on the line could potentially assist you in keeping attention off of Matt. You did not want him to get hurt. You also did not want to be forced to end things with him, although you would begrudgingly do so if it meant saving his life.

 

“Sentiment cannot interfere,” Kylo Ren said. He tilted his head to the left. It was cute in a way, how he seemed almost inquisitive with how his mask was positioned. “You know this.” You did. The First Order did all it could to drill that line into every one of its personnel. War was ugly. If one let their emotions get the better of them, multiple lives could be lost. There were also occasions in which someone was captured for ransom.

 

That was it, wasn’t it? If the individual, or individuals, that Matt was pursuing keyed in on his actions, they could very well grab you to get to him. Hurt you in an attempt to weaken him. He had defended your honor. You had replayed that fact so many times in your head, and you had failed to understand how that could be a  _ bad _ thing. You felt the strength in your limbs fade away, and you slouched further in the chair. General Hux had pushed for you to not have contact with Matt. If only he had been more forthcoming. Even though, realistically, you were aware that he could not given you likely lacked the proper clearance. Who knew just how deep this internal investigation ran? Deep enough that General Hux and Kylo Ren were both involved.

 

And Matt had practically outed himself by revealing he dyed his hair. What if someone had overheard that? It was reckless.

 

Which, in a way, was rather endearing and very flattering.

 

Golden boy was going to get an earful from you when next you saw him.  _ If _ you were allowed to see him again.

 

“I want to help, sir,” you said without altering how you were sitting. The roiling in your stomach had thankfully lessened. “I mean… I know that I don’t have the right clearance. No one has been taking me seriously when I say that I do want to help with… Can I help Matt?”

 

“And if assisting requires your staying away from him?” There it was. That dreadful question.

 

It felt like another blow had been dealt. Yet you were not going to give up, not unless you had to. “I can be pretty good undercover.” Even with the mask, you could tell that he gave you a once over. Checking you out. It was inappropriate timing. This was life or death. And, yeah, okay, maybe that was something you all faced every day due to the war; and, yes, Kylo Ren went on a  _ lot _ of missions that could easily end anyone’s life. His tastes were probably a hell of a lot kinker than Matt’s.

 

_ Let the droids watch as we tie you up with ropes. _

 

You cleared your throat and shifted your eyes away from him in the hopes that he would once again become generous orally… Verbally. Another inward groan from you; Matt had joked about a threesome with Kylo, so did that mean he was okay if you ogled your superior a little? You’d have to ask him point blank about that. Because at this point you were certain that, no matter what was to happen, you would have at least one last face-to-face conversation with him. Hopefully not the last.

 

“Not at this time,” that deep voice said. “You need merely be aware. Do not draw further attention to Matt. Improve your defenses.” With those final words, he held his hand out, palm up. When he had grabbed that new clearance cylinder, you did not know. He was a rather mystical man. You mimicked his hand’s position with your own. His glove brushed along the side of your hand then tilted, depositing the object into your possession. He did not have to tell you what doors this would open. You already knew. It was access to the training area that Matt had taken you. In order to eliminate some forms of suspicion, you had to make appearances there on your own. Show that you were meant to be there.

 

That was rather daunting. An improvement from thinking that you would have to break contact with Matt. Remembering the officers who had zoned in on you, namely the one who had then reported you to General Hux, you were already getting a form of stage fright. You shoved that from your mind, refocusing on the adrenaline that had pumped through your when you had gone for your cylinder. You had been ready to take on the entire base! You could do this.

 

“I’ll go there now.”

 

His head tilted once more. “Are you inviting me to watch?”

 

_ Maybe I want to watch you sweat. _

 

Matt’s words echoed in your head, the phantom sensation of his lips on yours tugging at all of the memories associated there. You definitely could  _ not _ take Kylo Ren there.

 

“No.” You stood on wobbly legs, however managed to gather all of your bearings before you took the first step in the direction of the door.

 

Kylo Ren’s mask followed you with each move. “I would enjoy watching you sweat.”

 

Your stomach flipped. You felt guilty for the way your body reacted...and you seriously  _ needed _ to ask Matt how serious he was about encouraging you to flirt with the Force user.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic will soon earn at least an M rating. For Matt.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's for Valentine's Day~ (Posting a little early so that it's up in time)

**Punsexual**

 

_ Twenty-Three _

 

Your presence in the training room turned some heads. At least four of the officers within the room did a double-take upon realizing that you were in possession of a clearance cylinder, that you hadn’t been let in by another person. One of them scanned over your shoulder; you recognized him from one of your other visits to the training room, and thus knew that he was looking for Matt. They whispered amongst one another. Their voices were too low for you to hear. That did not concern you. You kept up your guard in terms of ensuring no one approached you without you knowing ahead of time. A male officer nudged one of the females who was training. She rolled her eyes but accepted the role of thrust upon her. They wanted  _ her _ to approach you so that you weren’t scared off.

 

It really did not matter if a male or female approached you. The outcome was the same. No one attacked you or harassed you. You were pestered with a few questions, the officers inquiring if the training room would become more diverse. Technicians rising in number. You responded that you did not know when the truth was you really did not  _ care _ . You wanted to roll your eyes over how juvenile all of this was. All of you were fighting the same war. By the time you left the training room, without using it since you had not been intending to break a sweat, you were more grateful that you had been given access to it no matter the reason.

 

You decided to cling onto that bit of agitation for when you approached Matt. You had decided that you would find him as soon as possible to speak with him. To ask him why he would jeopardize his life and career for you. When you did ask him, Matt smirked and leaned so that his back touched the wall opposite you. The two of you had agreed to meet up in a nearby refresher. After ensuring that it was empty, you had locked the door to prevent anyone else from entering. Golden boy had snorted in amusement over this.

 

He liked to laugh in the face of danger, didn’t he?

 

“I was not making much progress,” he said after sobering a little. “When you walked in that day, it seemed like a good thing to say.” Gravity, probably. Matt shrugged. “Most of the other technicians did not make small talk. You did. When we would work together, small things here and there. It was...nice, I guess.” He shifting his weight onto his right leg and cleared his throat as a reddish tint blossomed on his cheeks. “I liked your puns.”

 

Him blushing was making  _ your _ face heat up quite a bit. On top of that, you were enjoying hearing that the two of you were similarly attracted to puns, to one another. You had identical interests while at the same time you were each different as well. Magnets colliding.

 

Magnetism or gravity or whatever the case, you found the distance between the two of you eliminated. You were kissing him with your hands on his cheeks and your teeth nibbling his bottom lip. Matt flipped the pair of you around. Now you were pinned to the wall. He caught your wrists and shoved your hands downwards, placing them on his chest. You were more than happy to explore the area, clothed though it was. The toned muscles of his abdomen twitched when you slipped your hands up under his vest and shirt. Golden boy grunted into the kiss. His tongue pinned yours down.

 

As much as you wanted the moment to continue, you swore and turned your face to the side. Matt stiffened, hesitantly asking you what was wrong. You couldn’t go further with him without first telling him of your interactions with Kylo Ren. The flirting. The fact that you were intrigued by the other man. Throughout your recount of what had occured with the pizza and cookies, you failed to meet Matt’s eye. Only when he chuckled did you meet his gaze.

 

“Cute.” The heat returned to your face at the compliment. “Kylo isn’t an obstacle. Just...pay attention. You’ll see.”

 

What did that mean?

 

“I don’t want to feel like… I don’t want to cheat on you.”

 

“With Kylo Ren?” You nodded. “It isn’t cheating. Only him. You said no rebound… No open relationship either.”

 

It was as though an answer were on the peripheral of your thoughts as your mind worked through what Matt was telling you. Then a fog concealed everything anew. His mouth returned to yours, and you wrapped your arms around him, tugging your bodies closer. Spread your legs just a little so that he was standing between them. Golden boy put his hands on your ass, giving it a gentle squeeze followed by one that was a little rougher, a  _ lot _ more erotic. He ground into you with that second squeeze. You moaned into the kiss.

 

Forget trying to figure out the mystery. Matt was okay with Ren flirting with you, with you reciprocating. And, most importantly, Matt was exploring your body with his hands. The setting wasn’t the best. You weren’t going to complain though. Even when there was pounding on the other side of the bathroom door, you did nothing more than chuckle into the kiss and rub gently circles on golden boy’s hips.

 

“I really have to pee, kriffing sleemos!” The voice made its way past the door and into the room.

 

You and Matt parted, a grin on either of your faces. When put like that, you couldn’t very well deny the guy entrance. Hooking your finger into one of the belt loops on golden boy’s bottoms, you tugged him towards the door. He reached past you and was the one to unlock it. The officer on the other side rushed inside without waiting, almost knocking the pair of you over. You felt a little badly that he had had to wait so long, and you hoped that he was able to make it into a stall in time.

 

“Let’s find someplace we won’t get interrupted,” you purred.

 

“We could go to Kylo Ren’s quarters.” You snorted, commenting that it definitely would be a place no one would interrupt. If Kylo entered, he’d probably watch. You giggled the entire time you spoke only to realize that Matt wasn’t laughing. He was serious. You asked him point blank if he actually had the access code or a clearance cylinder to the room. “Yes.”

 

Clearing your throat, you decided it was time to  _ go there _ . “Uhm, Matt… Have you ever… Like… Have you ever been intimate with him? Or is it more of a bromance sort of thing?”

 

His eyes pinched in corners as he smirked at you. “I have had my hand around Ren’s cock before.” You leaned away from him, wondering about the teasing lilt to his voice. As though he was trying to tell you something without coming out and saying it.

 

“So you’re bisexual?”

 

“If you let me take you to his quarters, you’ll have handled him too.”

 

“I want to have sex with  _ you _ ,” you said. Not that your mind didn’t flash to an image of you and Kylo fucking on black sheets. The creases around his eyes deepened, and golden boy’s shoulder were shaking. The nerfherder was laughing at you. “I take it I’m missing something very obvious here.”

 

“I’ll take you to my quarters.” You trembled in delight at the sound of his purr, at the husky quality of his voice. Matt unhooked your fingers from his belt loop and instead placed one hand on your lower back to nudge you forward.

 

Other First Order personnel hardly paid the pair of you any attention. To them, it was just two technicians walking through the base. Nothing obvious. No extra attention drawn, which is what Kylo Ren had requested you avoided. It was nice, in your opinion, that you did not have to give up Matt despite the danger. There were doors through which you did not have personal access. It was a good reminder of the position that Matt held. The  _ smoking gun _ as Kylo Ren enjoyed calling him. Speaking of the Force user…

 

“Matt...this is Kylo Ren’s room, isn’t it?” you asked as the door slid open and you peered inside. It was so plain. Which was rather standard for most First Order personnel. Except that it was even moreso. No personal touches. Sort of depressing.

 

Golden boy made a waving gesture with his hand, which swept along the air to mark the room’s circumference. “My quarters.”

 

“You and Ren share a bed?” Your eyes traced his body, darted to the bed, and then returned. “Oh!” Your eyes widened. You leaned, rather conspiratorially, closer, and Matt bent down to lend you his ear. “Are the rumors that he doesn’t sleep true?”

 

“You are an expert in the art of denial, aren’t you?”

 

He had a point. Moreso considering that your mind had already dredged up the fact that Matt dyed his hair. That he apparently had no history in the First Order no matter how much you dug up. That he insisted you having a relationship with Kyo Ren wouldn’t be cheating.

 

“You have alternate personalities?” Your voice turned into a squeak. Because, really, that was the only logical explanation for Kylo Ren and Matt to compete against one another if they were actually one person, right? “Oh! Or you’re brothers!” You remembered the comment in regards to golden boy having had his hand around Ren’s cock before. “No… Nope…”

 

“I’ve dropped a lot of hints.”

 

“That you want to fuck me?” you teased. Matt opened his mouth to correct you, caught himself, and nodded. He shoved you into his quarters and towards his bed. “The training room was another hint, wasn’t it?” This question escaped you after Matt had tugged off your shirt and cupped your breasts through your bra. “Alternate personalities? I mean… You aren’t joking, right? Kylo isn’t going to burst through that door, is h一mmm.”

 

His hand had slid into the front of your pants. The backs of your legs hit the bed, and it was only his other hand that kept you from collapsing backwards. Matt had an arm wrapped around your back while he toyed with the edge of your bra. Three fingers stroked your outer lips through your panties. His mouth was on your jawline, kissing, nibbling.

 

“What if he does?” the man teased. Your stomach swam, heat pooling lower.

 

In that moment, you knew for a fact that you were okay with Kylo and Matt being either two separate people or the same person. All that mattered was that golden boy kept touching you.

 

“You’ll have to call the voyeuristic droids and get the ropes,” you whispered, yanking off his vest and opening his top.

 

A deep chuckle. One that caused your toes to curl. “You’re about to see just how... _ kinky _ ...I am.”

 

Stars, you were ready.


	24. Chapter 24

**Punsexual**

 

_ Twenty-Four _

 

There had at once point been a rumor that Matt was rather clumsy when it came to rewiring calcinators. Right then you were thinking that had been rubbish or very,  _ very _ good acting on the man’s part. Because he was, without a doubt, quite skilled with his hands and with wires. For the latter, you felt your pulse quickening as your mind posed the question: why wire and not rope? When given a voice, the inquiry was met with a chuckle as well as the comment that he did not have rope on him. Though your eyes then darted to the belt that had once kept up his pants, you remained quiet. The loose wire was coated, which meant that it did not bite cruelly into your flesh. It also would not harm you from a electrical standpoint.

 

The both of your arms were not stretched above your head as you had believed they would be. Matt had a different method. The long wire allowed him to secure your wrists behind your back, their other ends tied in an expert knot on the footboard.

 

“What would the owner think if he walked in and saw you like this?” he purred. Your stomach did a flip. Your eyes, meanwhile, darted to the door. Was he saying that he and Kylo were two different people? It contradicted all those hints, didn’t it? Above you, golden boy chuckled, the sound husky, deep. “Perhaps my kink is watching you squirm.”

 

You should have been upset with him, with the way that he was teasing you. It was hard to be. When he was looking at you like  _ that _ , and walking two fingers directly above the wire on your wrists, it was too hard to be upset. Matt ghosted the pads of those two digits back and forth across your wrists. He really knew his erogenous zones. Your legs, quite free from any restraints including your clothing, drew closer to your body. Knees hitting Matt, you successfully diverted his attention from your face long enough for you to tub the corner of your mouth against your shoulder. There had been something irritating the flesh there. A loose hair? You weren’t sure. You had been opposed to asking him for assistance and had not wanted to make a weird face while he was watching either. This was new ground for the pair of you. Turn offs were to be avoided.

 

Matt angled himself against you differently. Where his thighs had previously been touching your hips, they instead met your knees. The shift downwards allowed him to settle more comfortably over top of you. There was a pocket of air between where his body ended and yours began. He knelt there for a breath staring at your knees before surging forward. The suddenness of the action caused you to jump. The wire tightened, jerking you back a fraction. Matt smirked rather deviously, and you fully understood the benefit of his choice in the footboard.

 

“Clever,” you said through a shaky breath. Your heart hammered from the shock he had given you. Golden boy grunted. He set his forearms on either side of your head, propping himself up as though ready to commit himself to pushups. You looked down the length of your bodies and at the increased distance between them. Your nakedness was all the more apparent now that you could properly contrast it with the briefs he had yet to shed. The briefs that were tented.

 

You took your bottom lip into your mouth enough to bite down on it while you narrowed your eyes. There were numerous ways that this could go from here. The end result would be the same, or at least you hoped so. You could feel yourself aching for him. Heat pooling through your body. Your stomach did a flip the moment you met Matt’s gaze. He was watching you. From the ghost of a smirk on his face, you were aware that he was enjoying it. Golden boy. Your mind purred out the term of endearment. You were not picturing his face though. Not exactly. You were mapping out those features while superimposing the intimidating mask that Kylo Ren wore. Goosebumps broke out across your flesh.

 

“Are you cold?” Curious more than concerned.

 

The wire holding your hands in place behind your back prevented you from reaching forward, as you did naturally. You had planned to touch the man’s face as a means of urging him to kiss you. “No,” you said. “I might be soon if you don’t work on keeping me warm though.” Matt’s smirk widened at your flirting. “Squirming only does so much.”

 

“I enjoy watching you like this. What if I got up and left?” He had you squirming again. You started to sit up but could not due to the restraint. Scooting down was not an option; the faux-blonde placed pressure on your legs. “Allow Kylo Ren to find you tied up here for him.”

 

Such a tease.

 

“I don’t think you’d leave in that case. You’d want to watch.”

 

Matt dropped moved between your legs. You sighed in pleasure at the feel of him through his briefs against you. Let out a low whine. You wanted him. Even when he cupped your throat with his hand and applied enough pressure that there existed the threat he would choke you. The sense of danger that he posed served to increase the desire you had for physical contact. He was surreal to you. Funny, devoted, but also…

 

His thumb skimmed your bottom lip as he shifted his hand upwards. Matt studied your every reaction. The language of your body, which he was willing to learn.

 

“You don’t have to be afraid.” His words lacked a passion that would have been necessary had he been attempting to convince you. Matt knew that you did not need to be convinced. You trusted him. “And don’t be angry.”

 

Before you could reply to that, his lips covered yours. You closed your eyes, melting into the kiss. The feel of his tongue along yours, exploring your mouth, almost erased your memory of what he had said. Almost. You kissed him with a new sense of urgency.

 

Once more he had dropped hints. The two of you would not be able to indulge as much as you wanted to. There was also a part of him that was excited to watch you squirm when he got up to leave. The wire instead of another medium; you would be capable of freeing yourself, redressing, and leaving. But you would not be able to touch him, to tease him in a way where he would be convinced to stay there with you. Away from work.

 

“That’s a horrible kink to have,” you said breathlessly when at last he pulled back.

 

“I won’t leave you completely unsatisfied.” He pulled away enough to where he could once more kneel between your legs, which he seized and wrapped around himself. You ground into him, gasping when he bucked his hips.

 

You swerved your hips, working your body so that you could hold more tightly onto him. You did not want to let him go even as he started to pull back. You refused to beg him. He would like that, and yet hate it at the same time. It would not be fair to either of you. Something was pulling him away, something that he had not planned on when he had brought you here. It was due to this that you at last accepted his identity. Matt and Kylo were the same person; or different sides of the same person. He could sense things beyond what could be seen.

 

What was dragging him away was something separate from the existence of Matt and the mission he was on as a radar technician.

 

That killed the mood instantly. That, whatever it was, wasn’t the sort of danger that thrilled you. It would have scared you if you trusted Matt...Kylo Ren...less.

 

“Waiting isn’t  _ my _ kink, just so you know,” you said prior to clicking your tongue against your teeth. His eyes were exploring your body one final time. Matt grabbed up your clothing into a bundle, set it inside of a vault you had initially missed, and locked it inside. Things started to click into place. “Wait…”

 

“All surveillance is gone from this section, as are troopers. I’m going to hunt you.”

 

Which meant he was using the time it took you to extricate yourself from the wire to hide in the shadows. He would stalk you. Toy with you. And you would be left wondering if you wanted to find him first, or if elongating the game would be better. You started to quickly sit up, but Matt was already out the door. You could hear him chuckling as he walked out of view. Before there was too much distance between the two of you, he called:

 

“The longer it takes me to catch you, the more time I will spend with you afterwards.”

 

Kriff. You began struggling against the wire, delicious anticipation over the fulfillment of that promise making your body ache anew.


	25. Chapter 25

**Punsexual**

 

_Twenty-Five_

 

Although there existed a modicum of frustration, you were not angry with Matt for the position you were in. It was exciting. The monotonous schedule you had experienced in life prior to meeting the faux-blonde served to make this chase more enticing. You worked the wire loose, twisted your hands, and managed at long last to extricate yourself from the makeshift restraints. The fast beating of your heart as adrenaline pumped through your veins bespoke of the thrill, the absolute elation that was filling your body. There was the background question of how or even when Matt had arranged for the surveillance to be turned off and the personnel to be vacated from the area. You shoved that aside as being unimportant. What _was_ important was that he had done it. He had succeeded in buying this time for the pair of you despite the mission he was on. The absence of other bodies meant that, not only were you about to have sex, you were safe from whatever threat existed due to your presence in Matt’s life.

 

The one thing that might have caused a small flash of agitation was that this was his home turf, so to speak. He had that one, large advantage. On top of that, the fact that he was also Kylo Ren meant that he would be able to sense you.

 

 _Kriffing cheater,_ you thought, though you were grinning. A chill ran through you. The slight breeze nipped at your naked flesh. He was in his undergarment at least. You… You chewed on your bottom lip while ducking out of the man’s quarters. Despite his promise that you were alone, you could not help but feeling self-conscious. You looked over your shoulders, first one then the other. No one. With a bounce to your first step, you headed forwards in an attempt to find a halfway decent hiding spot, albeit one that had multiple exits just in case he found you right away.

 

The first few doors that you walked past, you could not help but notice that their locking systems were disengaged. This meant that for security purposes, there would be a seal on another portion. Boundary limits for this game. Matt was clever without being completely reckless.

 

You pushed open one of the doors, testing to see if it would swing back to close. It did not, which had you grinning. The doors that opened without handles wouldn’t do you much good. These? You proceeded to open up several, setting the doors at different angles to hopefully throw Matt off your trail. Or at least make him have to work harder to find you. Your bare feet pattered noisily on the cool ground. You swerved up onto your tip-toes, unlatched one of the vent, and shoved it open.

 

There was no way you were going to climb in there. But Matt didn’t necessarily know that, did he?

 

_Only one way to find out._

 

You opened a second vent, this one lower. Paused and debated going inside. Change things up. Be unpredictable. You began to crouch then corrected yourself, kneeling in front of the opened hole. With narrowed eyes, you tapped a lone finger on your chin. You had climbed into vents before as part of your job. They were cold, the metal unforgiving against naked flesh. That alone was enough to dissuade you from the urge to be spontaneous by climbing inside.This was supposed to be enjoyable, and you were going to keep it that way.

 

The chill of the hallway resulted in your nipples stiffening. You swallowed down a joyous squeak that rose in your throat. It was easy to enjoy this game now that it had started. Another check of your surroundings. Visually; you looked around. Then you listened for the sounds of pursuit. Breathing. Laughter. Footsteps. Would he make noise to alert you? Though Matt had stated that he was hunting you, you wondered if he wouldn’t want to give you a sort of handicap. Keep this game going. The anticipation was making things all the better. If he got too serious with tracking you down, you decided that you more than likely would be a bit perturbed with him.

 

Golden boy wanted to make you wait? He’d have to be patient as well. It was a two-way street as far as you were concerned.

 

Grin borderlining manic, you darted into another new corridor and proceeded to open more doors. This time you ducked into one of them once you saw that it connected to three other rooms. The place was like a maze. You weren’t sure which one of you was the mouse and which was the cheese.

 

Footsteps caught your attention. You paused mid-step and discovered that they continued on. Your grin grew wider, if that was even possible at this point. You suspected that he would not, the longer this game lasted, give you as many hints as to his location. That would have terrified you in a different situation. In this one? You liked it. You loved the challenge of hiding, the thrill of being caught or being able to lengthen the duration of the game. It was a win-win situation no matter the result. As far as foreplay went, you had to say that thus far you were liking Matt’s take on it.

 

Doing all that you could to keep yourself quiet一your breathing, your footsteps, everything一you found another door to sneak through, another one that was not a dead end. The lights within were dimly lit, the majority on the handful of consoles inside. You did not pay attention to what the room served as, but that did not mean your mind failed to acknowledge the existence of the equipment. On a more conscious level, you felt the brush of a hand along your thigh. Barely able to suppress a yelp of surprise, you pushed forward with a burst of speed, slamming one of the doors and engaging the locks.

 

Your heart again hammered in your chest. The man was fast. His ability to sneak up on you like that had you looking over your shoulder with every turn you took. If you had had any doubts remaining in regards to his being Kylo Ren, those were gone. Still, you thought of him as Matt. Golden boy. Otherwise you would pause, would become distracted and quite likely be caught.

 

You would have believed it to be a contradiction; to run away from the individual you wanted to have sex with. Now you were mentally mapping other places that you could play this game. Not outside though, not in the snow. Unless the pair of you were clothed to start with. You ran a hand along your chest, fondling your breasts. Leaning against a doorframe, you paused for breath. Listened. Heard nothing, yet felt a hand cup your ass, round your thigh, and stroke between your legs. A single digit wormed between your outer lips. You momentarily closed your eyes at the heat emanating from that finger, the wetness it pulled from you.

 

Kriff if tugging away wasn’t one of the hardest things you had ever done in your life. But you accomplished this, and laughed with glee.

 

You pictured the grin that would be on Matt’s face, how amused he would be. He was toying with you. Catching up to you, pawing at you, but letting you get away. It felt as though mynocks were flapping around inside your stomach. Maker only knew when Matt would become aroused enough that he wouldn’t let you go. Such thoughts set your body aflame. The wetness grew between your thighs. Now your face felt all the warmer. Your gaze was traveling about the various fixings in the rooms not to note what the equipment was for, but where it was that Golden boy would at long last have his way with you when the urge became too strong.

 

Even with the craving you had for his body, you could not deny that, as you continued to run and hide from him, you missed his words and his very presence more. The pair of you had connected through puns, through conversation. The flirtations that had left you, initially, wondering how he felt for you, if he felt anything at all. There was a natural chemistry that existed between the pair of you. You adored that part of your relationship with him. It was what allowed you to now feel such an intense longing for him. The small urge to turn around and throw yourself at him.

 

Another brush of his hand, another giggle from you, and that desire to stop the game was quashed. It meant a lot that he enjoyed you enough to play with you, to initiate a more intimate form of foreplay rather than simply have a quick round of sex. He was showing you another side of himself. The need to play the role of hunter一someone strong一while giving you hints of his location一a softer side, one that cared about your reactions. He was a rather complex individual who excelled at revealing himself more through actions than words.

 

You felt as though you were going around in circles then discovered that you were when you stepped in view of the door to Kylo Ren’s quarters. At this point, you were a little chilled. You rubbed your hands up and down your arms, using the friction to heat your body. At the same time, you searched with your eyes all of the doors that were available to you.

 

There were beads of sweat on your body, and that was what prompted you to make the decision. That, and your strong desire, which had been fueled each time he had toyed with you with those phantom touches.

 

You went through one door then another. Grabbed up the object that you had pictured, the one that had helped you to make your choice. You darted back through that second door to the first room. Matt was standing in the doorway. He tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. His lips puckered a little as he attempted to read your actions.

 

There was no attempt on his part to dodge when you threw the item his way. It did not make it to him. The cloth went forward a few feet then plopped noisily onto the ground. In retrospect, you probably should have balled it up first.

 

“You know what that means?” you asked, bouncing up onto your toes.

 

Matt smirked, his words coming out in a purr. “Yes...I’m ready to catch you.”

 

You squealed, dodging past him when he half-heartedly lunged for you. He was quicker than you. The man’s arms encircled your waist, and Golden boy tugged you backwards so that your back met his chest. His hot breath tickled your ear.

 

“I didn’t tire you out, did I?”

 

“I threw in the towel before you could,” you said while laughing. You looked over your shoulder, finding that Matt had glanced over at the towel that you had thrown his way. You placed your hands on his, unwound them from your waist, and trailed them up to your breasts. “Time to get handsy, Golden boy.” A lust-filled growl escaped him in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll finally get to the E rating for "Elmidol takes too fucking long, but at long last here is the sex!"


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a head's up that I am avoiding news on IX. That includes the trailer, theorizing, discussions, and such. This is for personal reasons to include emotional welfare. I hope to finish this fic (as well as most or all my others) up before IX is released; so avoiding such things will not be an issue from a writing perspective. Thank you~

**Punsexual**

 

_ Twenty-Six _

 

Once there was nothing, no clothing or distance, between the two of you, Matt nearly spun you around, his movement swift enough to where your stomach did a mini swoop. The motion was fluid, and the next thing you knew, you were on your back upon the bed. Your hands became fists, balling up the bedsheets. He shifted onto the bed as well, his knee positioned between your legs, which spread mere inches out of instinct. You wormed your way backwards on the bed as Matt moved predatorily over top of you. The hunger in his eyes was unmistakable, and likely mirrored in yours. Golden boy pressed the lower half of his body firmly against yours, eliciting a gasp of pleasure at the feel of him. You spread your legs wider, drawing one of them upwards a little as you bent your knee to caress his limb. The feel of the toned muscles drew another ragged breath.

 

There was movement to your right. As you looked in that direction, Matt’s hands seized your wrists, keeping you pinned on the bed. The door to his quarters opened. You started to scream in surprise at the sight of Kylo Ren on the other side. Started to, but you were quickly cut off by Matt’s mouth on yours, his tongue exploring. Your wide eyes darted from the Force user to Golden boy and back. The door closed again once Kylo Ren was fully inside his quarters.

 

You had thought that Matt had been joking about Kylo Ren coming in like this. You had thought that they were the same person. Now… Now you were hot all over. Completely flustered as your superior observed you from behind his mask. Watched as the underside of Matt’s tongue trailed from your lips down your throat to your stomach and finally between your legs. He nudged your clitoris prior to giving it a gentle nip that sent a jolt of electricity through you.

 

The presence of the Force user served to increase your sense of arousal. It was difficult to  _ not _ be turned on when Kylo was palming himself through his robes. You whimpered, your hands entangling themselves in Matt’s hair. You looked down at him. Your chest rose and fell heavily as you panted. Golden boy smirked up at you. Sweat ran down his brow. Signs of exertion at last presenting themselves.

 

“I have to train in many ways,” Matt said with a purr. Without knowing why, you nodded in response. Slid your eyes back to Kylo Ren, who had taken to openly stroking himself. The sight of his cock一when the kriff had he freed himself from his robes and pants?一had your jaw dropping open.

 

“Oh...my…”

 

Golden boy pulled back from you, untangling your hands from his hair and again capturing your wrists. He switched both of your wrists into just one of his hands while rising onto his knees. You were tugged to where you lifted your torso off the bed. Legs still spread with your knees bent down, your body open. You licked your lips to wet them, meanwhile you glanced down at Matt’s erection. Wetness seeped from your body. Precum gathered on the head of his cock. In the corner of your eye, Kylo seemed to disappear. You blinked and turned your head. The Force user remained present. There was more sweat gathered on Matt’s body now. The beads of perspiration salty on your tongue when you leaned forward and gave his chest a quick lick.

 

“I want you.” Matt rolled you over, using a hand on the small of your back to urge you onto all fours once he released your wrists. You were positioned to where you could not see Kylo, yet your body would be easily viewed by him. Biting down on your bottom lip, you tilted back your head and moaned delightedly when the faux-blonde began to push inside of you. He stretched you open, filled you. Matt pressed his lips against the back of your neck, his hips shifting as he thrust into you. You whimpered at the feel of his sac slapping against your clit with his movements.

 

The palm of his left hand cupped your throat. He pressed against your windpipe enough that there was a threat of your airway being constricted, however he did not choke you in full. Golden boy swore rather colorfully. He moved back, pulling out of you. You groaned at the loss, and started to turn to face him. Paused upon noticing that you were alone in the room with him. Your cheeks started to heat up in embarrassment at the rejection before it dawned on you what had occured. Matt wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm then surged forward, practically tackling you back against the mattress.

 

You met him in kind, breath knocked out of you at the impact as you tried to flip both of you so that he was underneath you. Matt grabbed your hips with both of his hands. He let you achieve the position you had wanted, releasing another swear as you lowered yourself onto his cock and started to ride him. The wet smacking of your kisses filled the room, the sounds of you fucking yourself on him growing louder as you grew wetter, as your orgasm began to build.

 

“Mm,” you moaned, breaking away from his lips and kissing along his jawline. “Tangible?”

 

“You wish,” the faux-blonde said, earning an eager nod from you though you sighed in minor disappointment. He could create a projection of himself, could even give you a nice show. But he was not powerful enough to create a doppelganger that would allow you to have sex with both of his selves. Which reminded you… Matt did not let you pull away from him long enough to ask the question. Instead he claimed your mouth with his then answered what you hadn’t yet asked. “Same person. No separate personality.”

 

“You seem a little different,” you argued between kisses.

 

He did not contradict your words. Instead, Matt rolled so that he could control your movements, could keep you still when he wanted as he slowed down his thrusts, keeping you on the edge. “Meditation. I must first overcome the weakness and various emotions within myself before my Master continues to the next lesson with my training.” A different  _ part _ of his personality, you noted. “It was convenient to utilize the current mission as a means for expediting this portion of my training.” He rolled his hips again, making you gasp as your eyelids fluttered. “Would you like to know why I chose  _ Matt _ as my name?”

 

“Matts get laid!” you nearly screamed. In the next breath, it felt as though you were underwater. All sound was warbled. Your vision blurred around the edges as you came. Your orgasm, the way your inner walls tugged at his cock, caused the man above you to cum as well.

 

He rolled off of you, both of you wet with sweat. “That wasn’t why,” he said breathlessly. “But it is a good answer.”


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the extra week's wait. Life has been beyond crazy busy. I'm hoping it slows down a little so I can get more writing in.

**Punsexual**

 

_ Twenty-Seven _

 

His pillow smelled rather nice; clean and without perfume. Nothing that would cling to his hair and alert any possible tracking animal to his presence while he was on missions as Kylo Ren. Thoughts of his hair caused you to turn your head. Your cheek was pressed to the pillowcase, your eyes roaming the profile of his face. That faux blonde hair. Now you were wondering if it was temporary dye or a wig. Did it wash out? Did he have to re-dye his hair periodically? Along with this question remained the mystery as to why he had chosen the name  _ Matt _ . You had nudged him with the tip of your toe before and asked, however you had been met only with a smirk. He wasn’t going to tell you just yet. You supposed that he felt the real answer might not live up to your guess. You would find out eventually, and that was all that mattered.

 

Matt—Kylo Ren—could be a rather self-conscious guy. You wondered if he was always like this, or if it was a more latent part of his personality that rose to the top post-meditation.

 

Reaching forward, you dared to touch the tip of a lock of hair. Brown eyes flicked over to your face. Matt studied you for a moment before turning onto his side. You drew back a little, feeling suddenly self-conscious. Kylo Ren was not known to be overly affectionate. Matt was another side to him. They were the same person. Post-meditation Kylo may have been less tense, less ready to lash out, but it did not make him any less Kylo.

 

You were waiting for him to kick you out of bed or for him to leave the room.

 

Instead his hand met your hip then followed your curves. “Temporary dye.” You released a small noise of acknowledgment that was transformed into a moan of pleasure when he buried his face against your throat. His lips were warm on your flesh. His tongue causing you to giggle; the way he waggled it sort of tickled.

 

“Mm,” you moaned after swallowing down what would have been a bout of laughter at what his teasing was doing to you. “How does  _ Matt _ help you train?”

 

Golden boy—did he  _ really _ need a different nickname?—paused in his ministrations. “Transforming my weaknesses into strengths. Identifying which weaknesses must be tempered first is most effective.” If he was referring to emotions, you could see how that would be a hindrance when he was on the battlefield. And you had heard that emotions played a part in how one channeled the Force, although you did not know much beyond that. It was tempting to ask.

 

More tempting still were the lips that sealed against the flesh of your throat again. You sighed in pleasure then used a hand to cup the back of his head. “Do we have time?” Your heart stuttered within your chest as you waited for the answer that would disappoint you. Though you could not see his face, you knew the expression that was on it. A small amount of frustration over the fact that, no, there wasn’t quite enough time. Not if he wanted to properly ready himself to return to work. There had been a few hints on his part that time was running out, that others would be returning to this section of the base. “Another time?” Now your heart was truly pumping with fear of rejection.

 

Kissing his way up to your lips, golden boy soon rested his forehead against yours. “Just one?” You snorted in amusement. Pleasure thrummed through you in many senses now. “We should arrange for more mutual training sessions to avoid suspicion. There will be more persons of interest utilizing the machines within the coming days. I wish to fulfill this mission.”

 

Would the end of the mission signify the disappearance of Matt? You had an inkling that it wouldn’t. The persona would be useful in other areas. You couldn’t be the only one thinking that either. General Hux or even Supreme Leader Snoke himself were known to take into consideration the benefits of things where others would stray for something more conventional. If neither did, at the point that Kylo readied to put away Matt for good, you would make a suggestion.

 

“Why  _ Matt _ ?” you asked. If you weren’t going to have another round of sex, he could at least satisfy your curiosity.

 

His mouth twitched, as though he was equally amused and annoyed. “I believed, rightly so, that officers would walk all over me the moment I began to pose as a radar technician.” Another snort from you. He wasn’t wrong. As much as you enjoyed your job, there were some in the First Order who were absolute dicks to the technicians. Tension you hadn’t realized had built up in Kylo faded away; he had worried he would offend you by being so honest.

 

“I can appreciate a good pun,” you said. “But my answer was better.” You winked. This time, he snorted, shaking his head a little.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the last time I underestimate how crazy life can get, hahaha. Sorry for the delay in updates. I was hoping I would have had one chapter out before this. Thank you for being patient!

**Punsexual**

 

_ Twenty-Eight _

 

Although there continued to exist the agreement regarding shared training exercise routines between you and Matt, something—possibly work related in an area you did not have clearance for—had postponed these from occurring. You did not sit idly by, however, in the wake of these delays. The solo sessions were just as beneficial for you. When came your next physical exam, you would be more prepared. Plus, the others frequenting the room now hardly looked up whenever you entered. It was almost as if you were becoming a fixture of the place. Maybe a doormat… You inwardly smirked and snorted at your own joke, at the way it brought forth in your mind’s eye Matt’s face. Kylo’s face. You felt your cheeks heat up a little at that. Where your relationship with him stood, you hadn’t yet asked. Pushing for some sort of label could very well be a catalyst for throwing the connection off a cliff or flushing it out an airlock.

 

Cue your sudden wondering of: has Kylo ever flushed an ex out an airlock? Is that why we don’t hear of any hookups with him?

 

Then again, flushing people out of airlocks didn’t really seem like it’d be his style. General Hux’s...maybe even Phasma’s. Not Kylo Ren, though, no.

 

This was not a question you ever posed aloud, nor in a message to the man. Neither of you had neglected to send messages to the other, though they were few and far between. That had been another indication that Kylo Ren was away from the base. As for Matt’s absence, the rumor was that he had been suspended. Well,  _ one _ rumor was that he had been suspended. Another detailed a rather gorey death; such fictitious fates were the source of whispers more often than not. People got a little  _ too _ bored.

 

You sincerely hoped it was boredom rather than truths you shrugged off like a naive fool.

 

With a roll of your shoulders, you snapped your attention back to the present. There had been a message earlier from Matt that had served as an invitation for a joint training session. Thus far you had not been contacted again to belay that arrangement. Yet he hadn’t shown up on time. Presently the faux blonde was seven minutes late. You tore your eyes away from the chrono that was affixed to the wall above the door. For the last little while, you had been doing some warm-up stretches. The room was not empty aside from you. This was proving to make you feel all the more self-conscious at the idea of possibly being stood up. Forget that no one else knew that you were waiting for someone...except you were probably being too obvious for them to not know.

 

A low growl rose in your throat. You turned it into a cough, covering your mouth with a fist to further the charade. As you lowered your hand, you felt yourself beginning to smile. The door to the training room had slid open to reveal the very man who had been the source of your mounting anxiety. He spared only a quick look around the room to take in the identities of all present. Then his gaze met yours, and he gave a small nod of greeting. Even from a distance, you spotted the traces of bags under his eyes. He hadn’t been getting enough sleep, which had you wondering just what, exactly, his mission had entailed.

 

To be truthful, you had never really been all too interested in Kylo Ren’s solo missions prior to Matt. You had simply assumed that they benefited the First Order in some way. They had little else to do with you, so why would you invest time and energy into knowing more? Now you were seeing things in a different light.

 

_ Was I too wrapped up in my own thoughts to the point of inattentiveness and selfish towards… _ You wrinkled your nose at the unbidden thoughts regarding your ex. Averting your eyes from the disguised Kylo Ren as he found his place next to you, you moved onto the nearest machine. There was a sense of frustration growing in you. The thoughts, always lingering in the back of your mind, had been a residual sense of doubt that your ex had instilled in you. You had always been the one to blame. Never good enough.  _ Too _ good. It did not mean that his words would never have any semblance of merit. That was what sickened you.  _ But I can grow. I have grown from who I used to be. _

 

“Sorry,” you said softly. Matt had not climbed onto the machine’s twin. He remained standing beside yours instead, the man observing you. “I’m noticing a change in myself.”

 

“Change.” He repeated the word, as though testing it.

 

“It’s a positive change,” you chimed. Your mouth twitched towards one side. Then, as you regained better control over your features, you continued. “Makes me not enjoy who I used to be.”

 

“Or enjoy her less,” Matt said. He smirked to himself in satisfaction while joining you in full by getting onto the other machine. “A sign of growth. You recognize your own follies. Learn from them. Move on. If you dwell, you will undo the improvements. Tangle yourself up in what you hate.” It was what he was doing, in a way, when he became Matt. There were parts of his past self that he did not like, that he viewed as a weakness. He could channel those through Matt. Recognize which pieces to leave behind in full, and what salvagable parts he could nurture. Turning weaknesses into strengths.

 

The strength of character.

 

You inhaled deeply. “My brain gets a nice workout whenever you’re around.”

 

“I am a pretty good teacher,” he agreed. He was. So you let him have that moment, that ego boost; emphasized it by nodding. Golden boy looked less tired now. The traces of exhaustion were disappearing. Emotional exhaustion as well as physical. Eventually you would have to invest more interest and time into what it was Kylo Ren did for the First Order. For now, you would simply help him in this mission as Matt by spending time with him. Already there were notable differences in how the others in the training room reacted to his presence. They hardly looked your way or his. You were both just doormats, just pieces of furniture. Fixtures in the room. The two of you blended together rather well indeed.


	29. Chapter 29

**Punsexual**

 

_ Twenty-Nine _

 

You had not thought that you were neglecting your social life, specifically your friends, until you were seated with Neola and Ylleul at lunch break. There had been a segment devoted to you bringing the pair up to speed with how your relationship with Matt was progressing—concealing his true identity was easier than you would have believed. Afterwards, Ylleul had spoken of her own blossoming romance, and Neola of her worry over whether or not she would tack on a promotion that previously had seemed like a sure thing. A recent transfer was also quite qualified for the promotion, which had led to her direct superior informing her of the possibility that things would go a different route.

 

“I just feel like all the hard work I’ve been putting in hasn’t mattered...that I don’t matter.”

 

“You’re living, you occupy space, and have mass,” you offered. Already her lips twitching, alternating between a weak grin and a more neutral expression. “You know what that means?”

 

Neola brushed her finger tips under her eyes. She would not let herself cry, and you couldn’t exactly blame her either. Appearances were a pretty big deal around here in the First Order. You spread your hands in place of extending your arms. This prevented too many people from looking over at you. The last thing you, or Neola, wanted was extra attention. All three of you managed to speak in unison, delivering the punchline:

 

“You matter.”

 

Unsurprisingly, Neola rolled her eyes, which brought a large grin to your face. The expression was contagious. All three of you knew that it didn’t entirely erase her worries. They would remain until the decision by all your superiors was made. Hanging in limbo was harder than being given that blow. It allowed one to feel hope. To agonize over what more could be done to sway a decision that she had no more say in.

 

In a way, that wasn’t much different than your current circumstances with Matt. You were limited in what you could do to assist the disguised Kylo Ren in his mission. Worse still, you had managed to pick up on some hints as to the nature of just how deep things ran. Your clearance level kept you from participating. This gave you a strange sense of relief. There was already enough danger lurking in the corners of the galaxy.

 

“AU,” Neola said, her voice drawing you out of your head. Your grin returned with how your friend had taken to using your greeting to Golden boy. It aided Kylo in making him fit in. Plus, a part of you was convinced that he secretly enjoyed these moments where he was more...human? Able to interact on a human level with others.

 

He did not stay for very long. Matt had dropped by long enough to grab his food, allowed Neola to summon him for the duration of eight minutes, and then he was off.

 

You saw more of him that night. Much, MUCH more.

 

Your hands were splayed across his chest as you stared down at him. Your breaths came out in heavy pants. Underneath you, Kylo Ren balled up the bedsheets into his hands. A practice in restraint. You had rolled your eyes and snorted when he had suggested incorporating his training into sex. Yet you had obliged, and right now you were  _ not _ complaining in the least. There was a passion in his eyes, a hunger that made you feel so wanted. It made you feel empowered. You ground against him. Toyed with his nipples with your thumbs.

 

Shuddering, you moaned his name during orgasm. Recovering, you let yourself collapse onto the bed next to him and stared up at the ceiling.

 

“Are you secretly storing personal information about everyone...uncovering weaknesses for  _ just in case _ ?” There was no reply. You turned your head, watching him as he continuing to look at the ceiling. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Directly before  _ Matt _ appeared there was a technician who was...transferred.” You nodded, remembering this. He pinches his lips together. Once more, things click into place. The mission, the disappearing tools, it included a murder, one that was covered up for the sake of uncovering the perpetrator and/or having the perp lead the triumvirate to the head of the snake. “Storing personal information can be beneficial...or detrimental.” If he became attached, you reasoned.

 

Though you sincerely doubted it, say Neola or Ylleul...or even  _ you _ were involved in the cause of the tool disappearances, it might be more difficult for Matt to… It wouldn’t be Matt. It would be Kylo Ren himself. He would have to do it, and he would. He would not fail in that even if it hurt on some level or another.

 

“Less misery, more sex.” You placed your hands on either side of him, and lowered down into a kiss. His hand met the back of your head, drawing you back to him when you parted for breath.

 

In the back of your mind, it clicks into place what the training was about. He wanted to know if he could control himself enough to not touch you. To break contact. And he had succeeded...but he came back. Kylo’s actions spoke so much louder than his words at times. You melted against him, relishing in the way that he laid you on his bed. How he spread you open. Kissed you. Moved inside of you. Your limbs entangled, your fingers in his hair. Tongue in his mouth. He made you  _ know _ that you mattered.


End file.
